Everybody Lies
by TwilightWorshipper14
Summary: Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies. - Jason Walker/A Harry Potter has a twin sister story(no bashing, they are twins and love each other(in a Platonic way of course)) NOT INCEST
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: All outfits are on my profile. A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

Reviews are always appreciated!

**Chapter One: The Attack**

* * *

Lily Potter never thought there would be a day where she could look at James Potter without wanting to strangle him. When she first met him on the train, he was every inch the arrogant toe-rag she accused him of being nearly everyday at Hogwarts. Now, when she looks at him, love swells in her heart. It is profound and humbling to know you never truly know anyone until you give them the chance to be themselves. Wearing a wedding dress, looking at the man James Potter has become, she knows she can do this.

"I do." Her strong voice rings out into the silent air. She gazes at the man that she has just become married to, and she feels not an ounce of regret. _This_ is the man she loves. There is no doubt, because everything feels right. Feels true. Looking at James Potter, seeing his hazel eyes dance with love and mischief, she feels complete. She feels like her magic is settled and content for the first time in a long time. As she turns and faces the crowd of friends and family, she _knows_...this is who she is meant to be. This is her place, by his side. Forever by the man she loves.

* * *

_**July 31st, 1980 - St. Mungo's - Emergency Room**_

* * *

"Aahhhh!" Lily Potter screams.

"Hold her legs!"

"Keep her steady!"

"Will someone _please_ get this woman a Pain Relief Potion!"

"The baby is coming!"

"I can see the head!"

A few seconds later, a wail cuts the air. The medi-witch rushes forward with a towel, while the doctor examines Lily.

"It's a boy!" The medi-witch gently wipes the little boy clean with a towel, as after the first few hours of birth, baby skin is extremely resistant to magic and could harm the baby's magical core. Just as the medi-witch finishes wrapping the baby in a blue blanket and starts to hand him to Lily, the doctor freezes in shock.

"Wait! There is another baby in here!" This, of course stirs up a big fuss. The baby is taken out to James Potter with nary a word before the medi-witch rushes back into the room, leaving a confused and ecstatic father in the waiting room. She is greeted with chaos.

"Puckle! Get over here!" The poor medi-witch rushed over to him and assisted him with the birth of the unexpected second child. After a few minutes of hard grueling work, the doctor managed to stabilize Lily. He then sighed, motioned for the medi-witches to keep watch over Lily Potter before going out to explain to the now frantic husband James Potter.

* * *

"**What**!" Disbelief lent an entirely new color to James Potter's outrage. The doctor sighed once more and pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose as he prepared to explain it again.

"Your wife is having twins. Your first child (here James interrupted to testily inform the man his son's name was to be Harrison "Harry" James Potter) was, for lack of a better term, hiding this other child. The baby is not quite ready to be born yet, and any attempts to force this child to be born has a high chance of resulting in the death of your wife along with your second child. She-"

"She?" A now pale James cuts in.

"I'm having a daughter?" The man sighs before nodding. James silent hands a sleeping Harry over to an also silent Sirius and Remus and sits down abruptly. Remus, seeing his best friend was not feeling up to questioning the man anymore, stepped in to ask the question they all were thinking.

"Will Lily and the child be alright?" James casts his friend a thankful look before looking eagerly at the doctor.

"Yes, they both will be fine as long as we don't try to rush the birth. By my estimations, your daughter will be born in a day or two. Now, you may go in and see your wife, but be sure that nothing over-excites her. It could cause her to go into birth before either of them are ready." James, Remus and Sirius all nod frantically before rushing into the hospital room. Their steps slow when they notice Lily laying limply in the hospital bed, the medi-witches bustling around her.

"Lil's?" James whispers. She hears him and looks up, green eyes sparkling with love dulled by exhaustion.

"I am not dead or dying, James. You don't have to be so quiet." She admonishes. James's face breaks out into a wide grin as he rushes over to her side.

"So...you have anything to tell us?" James asks playfully. Lily rolls her eyes with a fond smile.

"Yes James, I do have something to tell you. Your unborn daughter and I have been conspiring against you." Sirius lets out an oddly dog-like bark of laughter and Remus shakes his head, laughter in his gleaming amber eyes. James gasps dramatically and grabs his chest.

"I knew it!" He points at Lily, an accusing look on his face. He gets up and staggers to the side. Sirius hands Harry to Remus and leaps at James, transforming into Padfoot mid-air. He lands on James and they tussle for a couple of seconds, much to the amusement Lily and Remus, who share fond smiles before watching the pair on the ground.

"What on earth is going on here?!" James and Sirius freeze before slowly glancing up at the furious medi-witch.

"Uh, nothing?" James weakly smiles. Sirius lets a doggy snort of laughter at James and gets off him.

"Why is there a dirty mutt in my hospital?" She asks dangerously. Sirius whines piteously before trotting over to her, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in a charming doggy grin. He rolls over on the ground and paws at the air to get her to pet him. She stares down stonily at him before looking at Remus.

Grinning sheepishly he shrugs. "Family pet?" He offers up. She sniffs haughtily before turning on her heel and leaving the room. Sirius transforms and the two Marauders share a laughing grin before helping each other up.

"Where's our son?" Lily asks, trying to lift herself in a sitting position. James immediately rushes to her side, only for her to brush off his hands with an exasperated look. "Can I see him or is that also against the rules now?" She snaps at him. James brushes a kiss against her head and she cups his cheek, a fond smile on her lips. Remus steps forward with Harry in his arms and hands him to her.

The look on Lily's face as she saw her son for the first time was unforgettable. She snaps out of her daze when a bright light flashes. She rolls her eyes and glares at James, who was lowering a camera from his face. Before she can say anything though, Harry opens his mouth in a tiny yawn and reaches out with one tiny fist. He grabs Lily's pointer finger and sleepily opens his emerald-green eyes.

Lily's breath catches in her through as her eyes meet her son's for the first time. He smiles at her, and Lily falls. James can't help the swell of emotion in his throat and he pulls her into a hug, their son carefully cradled between them. They pull apart when another white flash lights up the room, before all of them fall to laughter.

* * *

_**June 2nd, 1980 - St. Mungo's - Room 7**_

* * *

Lily cradles her children in her arms and marvels at how fast life has changed. When she first married James, it was hard for her to imagine having children. Oh, she could see them running around, being little hell-raisers, but when she was seriously trying to imagine being a mother, it never seemed right. Now, as she has her baby's in her arms, she couldn't imagine it any other way.

* * *

_**Night - Saturday, October 31st, 1981 - Potter Home, Godric's Hollow**_

* * *

"Harry get back here!" Lily shouts, calling after the naked mud covered little boy. He giggled infectiously before darting into the living room. He falls on his butt and shakes his head before looking up. A wide grin splits his little face. "Pa'foo!" He cheers, raising his chubby little hands, wanting to be picked up.

Sirius swoops down and smiles down a the muddy little boy. His black hair is pulled into a ponytail and his grey-blue eyes sparkle as he looks at his godson.

"Heya there, prongslet!" Harry giggles and kicks his feet. He leans near his godfather and Sirius notices a mischievous glint in Harry's emerald eyes.

"Mama mad." He confides in what he thinks is a whisper but is really a loud voice.

"Oh yeah? What happened?" Harry shrugs innocently but it is ruined by a wide grin.

"Vawl towd me to woll in de mud wike a pwig. Now I in tw-tw, mama mad." After taking a second to figure out what he was saying, (Val told him to roll in the mud like a pig, now he is in trouble) Sirius grins.

"Oh she did, did she." Harry nods seriously. Val or Valyn Adar Donelle Potter, Harry's little twin sister told him to roll in the mud. It really didn't surprise him. Though they were only a year old, Harry and Val were smart. Val seemed to be the trouble-maker though. She would think of something and then get her brother to do it. If he got in trouble, she didn't copy no matter how much she wanted to. If he didn't get into trouble, she was doing it as enthusiastically as possible.

They didn't spot the little trend at first but after Remus pointed it out, it seemed so obvious. Remus would joke that Val had gotten all of her mothers brains and Harry had gotten all of his father's gullibility. Remus was Val's honorary godfather. They would have made it official if the Ministry would allow it. So, Val had Severus as her official godfather (and boy did he dote on her) and her unofficial werewolf godfather (or ga'pa as she like to call it) to call her own. The twins were the most spoiled children in the world.

Of course, there weren't many that could resist them. Harry with Lily's bright emerald eyes, James unruly ebony hair, Lily's lips and nose.

And Val was pretty much the same. She had James's hair, only it manifested itself in a different way. Her long ebony hair was long, loose, tangled curls. She had them streaked with green and the tips were purple (Val had gotten her Metamorphmagus ability from Sirius after they had a an Heir Adoption ceremony when he thought he was never going to have kids. Her and Harry are next in line after Orion, Sirius and Remus's Blood Adopted son who is a few months older than them.) She changed her hair once when she was a few months old and left it like that. She never really used the ability as at the age of one she really didn't care about it.

She has Lily's eyes though they are a bit darker, more of an enchanting forest green than an emerald. Flecks of silver cluster around the iris and the edge of her pupil. She had her father's mouth, perfectly pouty. The rest of her features are all her mothers. Her small nose, cheeks, and ears. Her clever brain.

Sirius was shaken from his thoughts as Remus taps him on the shoulder. Remus's amber eyes are rarely without a content gleam and his brown hair was sleek. He was the picture of health. Remus and Sirius had gotten married 5 months after adopting their little Orion. Sirius's family wasn't thrilled, but needless to say, Sirius didn't care if they took a flying leap off a bridge.

Remus was holding Val propped on one hip and Orion on the other. Sirius grinned at him and was about to kiss him when he was startled by Lily.

"Gotcha! You little rascal!" She laughingly told Harry. "Time for a bath!" Harry frowned and shook his head.

"You are getting a bath sweetie. You _and_ your sister." Remus handed over Val and Lily headed up the stairs with a twin on each hip. They both waved at Sirius and Remus over their mother's shoulder. With matching grins, they waved back before their attention was grabbed by Orion.

* * *

_**3 Hours**_** later**

* * *

"Honey! I'm-oomph!" James Potter groans as his son Harry and his daughter Val are hanging on his waist.

"Well hello to you to!" He drops his briefcase and swings them in the air. The twins laughing and squealing woke up Sirius and Remus.

"Wha-?" Remus.

"The purple cow did it!" Sirius.

James snickers and plops on the couch next to his best friends.

"Hey Moony, Padfoot." They grin at him and make a motion to get up before noticing Orion draped over their lap, asleep. Orion had Sirius's black hair and Remus's amber eyes. He also has Remus's werewolf curse. That was given to him before he ever met Sirius and Remus and was a large part of why they adopted him. Greyback attacked his family and killed them all before biting the little boy. Auror's arrived on the scene just in time to save the little boy's life.

His life has been a lot better for meeting the two Marauders. They send an apologetic look at James before gathering the boy in their arms.

"Sorry James, but we gotta go." James smiled before hugging them.

"I understand, I gotta get these two in bed too." After saying good-bye, they floo home.

"Okay, you two. We gotta get to bed."

"James? Hi honey." After giving him a kiss on the cheek, Lily squeals as he wraps an arm around her waist and twirls her.

"James!" Her admonishment is light and heartfelt.

"Yes Lil's darling?" She smiles softly at him before kissing him lightly on the lips. "After I put the twins to bed."

"Yes ma'am." He smiles softly at her before letting her go. As Lily heads up the stairs to put the twins to bed, James collapsed on the couch. It was a few seconds before James jerked up on the couch. The wards were falling.

"James, did you-James?! What is it?" She rushes over to him, the twins still in her arms. He looks at her, eyes wide with alarm.

"Lily, take Harry and Val and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-" The door is blasted off its hinges. Lily rushes to Harry and Val's room where she immediately starts to barricade the room. Lily whirls around as she hears the sounds of someone stumbling from a room downstairs - a door bursting open - a cackle of high-pitched laughter - and then silence.

Fear makes her hands shake. She grabs her wand and starts to chant an incantation. She takes out a dagger and slices her wrist. Light flashes as the Protection spell is triggered. Not a moment to soon as the door is blasted away a second later. Voldemort stands in the door. His bald head gleaming in the light. His blood-red eyes greedily fixed upon the twins. Taking a deep breath Lily moves in front of her babies.

Irritation crosses his face before is smooths back into a triumphant mask. He takes a swift step forward and Lily hold out her wand. "Not them! Please, not my babies. Not Harry, not Valyn, please not my babies!" Voldemort rolls his eyes and somewhere in the back of her head Lily marvels at this monster of a man doing something so normal as rolling his eyes. This thought is cast from her head when Voldemort takes another step forward.

"Stand aside you silly girl … stand aside now."

"Not my babies, please no, take me, kill me instead! Not my twins! Please … have mercy … have mercy…"

Harry hears a shrill voice laughing and the woman screaming and starts to cry. Val wakes up and lurches into a standing position. Her tiny hands clutching the bars of her crib. Voldemort, tired of the mud-blood's sniveling, casts a Stupefy at Lily. She collapses and is still. Val's forest green and silver eyes focus on her mother and then on Voldemort. An anger is brewing in her. Harry stands up to and manages to get in front of her. Voldemort uses his want to stroke the side of her face, curiosity at her odd eyes stirring in him before shaking it off.

He turns to Harry and anticipation flashes in his eyes before he raises his wand one last time. "_Avada Kedavra._" There is a blinding green flash and a burning pain in Harry's forehead, from where Voldemort used the Killing Curse on him. The Protection Spell flares a bright white and the spell rebounds upon Voldemort. The house is silent. The house is still.

* * *

_**Hours later**_

* * *

"Lily? James?!" Sirius shouts in panic. He scrambles off the bike and into the ruined wreck of a house. Once in the door he nearly trips over James. He turns him over, panic starting to overwhelm him before noticing his pulse. He sets him down and rushes up the steps. He sees Lily on the floor and again he feels for her pulse. His head snaps up when he hears the twins stirring in the bed. Harry has a scar on his head. He is curled protectively over his baby sister.

" 'ello?" Hagrid calls from below. Sirius rushes down the steps, the twins in his arms.

"Hagrid! James and Lily are unconscious. Harry had a cut on his head but other than that, he is fine." Hagrid sighs in relief.

"Dumbledore is on his way." Sirius hands Hagrid the twins before turning and going to his bike.

"Where ye goin'?" Sirius doesn't answer him as he takes off the catch a rat.

* * *

"Hagrid?" Hagrid turns to Dumbledore, the twins in his arms.

" 'ello Professor Dumbledore, sir. I have here the twins. Sirius had them but he left in a bit o' a hurry li'l while ago." Dumbledore's eyes harden with anger.

"Hagrid, Sirius was the Secret Keeper." Hagrid gasps with shock before breaking out in sobs. All you can really tell is Hagrid thinks he let down Dumbledore.

"There, there Hagrid. I don't blame you. Come now, we must get the children to Hogwarts so they can be checked over by Madam Pomfrey." Still sniffling Hagrid follows Dumbledore.


	2. Chapter 2: The Attack

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: All outfits are on my profile. A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

Reviews are always appreciated!

**Chapter Two: The Boy-Who-Lived**

* * *

Mr. And Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense. Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.

Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere. The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.

Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son and daughter, too, but they had never even seen them. The twins was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with children like _that_.

When Mr. And Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window. At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.

"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen - then he jerked his head around to lookagain. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror.

It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about.

People in cloaks. Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak!

The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something... Yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills. Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swoop ing past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning.

He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd (shockingly enough) stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun (or three) from the bakery. He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed.

He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a (couple of) large doughnut(s) in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.

"The Potters-,"

"That's right-"

"That's what I heard-"

"Yes, their son-"

"And daughter-"

"Harry-"

"And Valyn-"

Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking...(Again, shockingly enough.)

No, he was being stupid. (Glad he finally caught on.) Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry and a daughter called Valyn. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew and neice were even called Harry and Valyn. He'd never even seen the twins. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. Or Valerie. Or Valence. There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that...

But all the same, those people in cloaks... He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.

"Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare,

"Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off. Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was.

He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination. As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't improve his mood -was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.

"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife. Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!").

Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:

"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern."

The newscaster allowed himself a grin.

"Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"

"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."

Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters... Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously.

"Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.

"No, " she said sharply. "Why?"

"Funny stuff on the news, " Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... Shooting stars... And there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today... "

"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.

"Well, I just thought... Maybe... It was something to do with... You know... Her crowd. " Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter. " He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could,

"Their son-he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"

"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.

"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"

"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me. "

"Oh, yes, " said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree. " He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something. Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters?

If it did... If it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it. The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect them...

How very wrong he was. Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.

A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, both of which were long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots.

His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street.

For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered,

"I should have known. " He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked itagain - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement.

Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.

"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall. " He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly. "

"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.

"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here." Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.

"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right, " she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news. " She jerked her headback at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... Shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense. "

"You can't blame them, " said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years. "

"I know that, " said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being down right careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors. " She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"

"It certainly seems so, " said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"A what?"

"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of"

"No, thank you, " said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone - "

"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort. " Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who. ' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."

"I know _you_ haven't." said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know-oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of. "

"You flatter me, " said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."

"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."

"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs." Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said,

"The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.

"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead." Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. "Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..."

Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "You misunderstood me, my dear." he said heavily. "Lily and James Potter are not dead. Merely catatonic. Voldemort did something to lock them in their minds. We have all the best Mind Healers working on them. There has been no progress so far, but we must no loose hope."

Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on.

"That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son and daughter, Harry and Valyn. But - he couldn't. Harry stepped in front of her and for some reason he couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone."

Dumbledore nodded glumly.

"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... All the people he's killed... He couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding... Of all the things to stop him... But how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"

"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know. But I do have a hunch." He pulled a book from his pocket. The front was elaborately embossed in silver. It said, 'Protection Spell for Blood Family.' "I found this in the Potter's house. Lily marked a page. It is an extremely potent Protection Spell. She had to spill her blood and sacrifice herself. For some reason though, the Spell stilled worked even though she wasn't dead. That is why young Harry has a scar, the spell wasn't quite strong enough to completely protect him. However, because Harry stood in front of his sister, the spell took it to mean that she had two people willing to die for her and so she received no scars or injuries."

Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said,

"Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"

"Yes, " said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"

"I've come to bring Harry and his sister to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now. Until Lily and James wake up that is."

"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry and Valyn Potter come and live here!"

"It's the best place for them, " said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter. "

"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a _letter_? These people will never understand them! Harry'll and even Valyn will be famous - legends - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry and Valyn Potter day in the future - there will be _books_ written about them - every child in our world will know their names!"

"Exactly, " said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any child's head. Famous before they can walk and talk! Famous for something they won't even remember! Can you see how much better off it'll be, growing up away from all that until they're ready to take it?" Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said,

"Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how are the twins getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry and Valyn underneath it.

"Hagrid's bringing them."

"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"

"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.

"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place, " said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?" A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.

If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding two bundles of blankets.

"Hagrid, " said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"

"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir, " said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black won't be needing it. Remus lent it to me. I've got them, sir. "

"No problems, were there?"

"No, sir - well, there was one. I ran into Severus and Remus. They were insistin' I give the babies to them as they were godfathers an' all. But I tol' them I was bringin' them to you. The house was almost destroyed, but I got the twins out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. They fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol. He won't let go of his sisters hand." Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep curled around his sister. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.

"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."

"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"

"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with." Dumbledore took Harry and Valyn in his arms and turned toward the Dursley's house.

"Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and Valyn and gave them what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.

"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!"

"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James cata-cata, not awake - an' poor little Harry and Valyn off ter live with Muggles - "

"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry and Valyn gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.

"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations. "

"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Remus Sirius's bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir." Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.

"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall, " said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.

"Good luck, Harry, Valyn." he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone. A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. Valyn curled further into her brother's side. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and they slept on, not knowing they were special, not knowing they were famous, not knowing they would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that they would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by their cousin Dudley...

They couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!"


	3. Chapter 3: Accidental Magic

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: All outfits are on my profile. A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

Reviews are always appreciated!

**Chapter Three: The Vanishing Glass (and other pesky incidents)**

* * *

Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantel piece really showed how much time had passed.

Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets - but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother.

The room held no sign at all that another boy and little girl lived in the house, too. Yet Harry and Valyn Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. Their Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.

"Up! Get up! Now!" Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.

"Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before. His aunt was back outside the door.

"Are you up yet?" she demanded.

"Nearly," said Harry.

"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday. And you had better get your good for nothing sister up as well. I won't have her lazing about on Duddy's birthday." Harry groaned.

"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.

"Nothing, nothing..." Dudley's birthday - how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he and his twin slept.

Gingerly shaking his twins shoulder, Harry winced. She was so going to kill him. Val was vicious when she was woken before she wanted to wake up. Normally she was up before even him. Harry winced in guilt. It was all his fault. Val was sneaking food out of the kitchen when he stopped her. He didn't want her to take the food. He wanted to believe the Dursley's were going to feed them. Val didn't share the same hope. She knew better. Ever the cynic, his twin. She had given up on them. She knew better than to depend on the Dursley's. She turned to leave and walked straight into their Uncle Vernon. The food had fallen all over the floor.

He had grabbed her by the arm and thrown her outside. She was forced to work outside until midnight. Then, Uncle Vernon had taken her downstairs to talk (really yell) at her for another hour. It was no wonder she was tired. They hadn't eaten a full meal in two days and just when they were going to get something to eat, he went and screwed it up. And even then, his little sister still managed to save him an apple. She gave it to him even after he cost them both a meal. She gave it to him even though she had been working for over 8 hours without food and still she didn't eat it. Even though he was the older twin, Val usually was the one who ended up taking care of them.

He knew why. She had given up. He could still remember the day. They were five. Val wanted to go trick or treating with the other kids and Aunt Petunia sneered at her. She told her she was a sick little girl for wanting to celebrate the day she and her brother had 'murdered' their parents. Val looked as though she had been slapped. She cried so hard that night. It was the last time she was truly a little girl. It was also the day she started to take care of them. It was also the day she stopped crying. Since that Halloween when they were five, he hadn't seen her cry once. She never asked to celebrate Halloween again. Instead, she snuck out at midnight every Halloween to plant a little flower at the base of the tree in the back in honor of their parents.

Torn out of his thoughts by a little groan, Harry looked down at his twin. She stirred sleepily. She always slept with her back pressed against the far wall of the cupboard. She said it made her feel a little safer. He smiled when she opened her forest green and silver eyes sleepily.

* * *

_**Val P.O.V.**_

* * *

"Hey twin, we gotta get up. Precious Dudder's needs his breakfast cooked." Harry said softly. I stiffen a little when he started speaking but then relax when I remembered who he was. This is my twin Harry. The oldest by two days. I bite my lip to hid my wince of pain. Harry's hand was press right on my back. It was a good thing I remembered to put on a black shirt before I went to bed or he would be able to see the blood on my back from the lashes I was given by Uncle Vernon last night.

I slowly reach for our bond. Every twin has a bond, ours is one of emotion. We can't read each others minds or anything like that. We can only feel each other's emotions. I make sure to hide my pain. I don't want Twin to have to feel it. After hiding the pain, I smile sleepily up at my brother.

"Sup, Twin?" I ask cheekily. He smiles and shakes his head at me. I feel a rush of warmth from our bond.

"We have to get up. It's Dudder's birthday, remember?" I roll my eyes.

"Gee, how could I have forgotten?!" I ask snarkily. Harry holds his hands up in surrender.

"How am I supposed to know?" He asks, laughingly playing along. I open my mouth, but before I can make a witty retort, the ceiling shakes and dust falls from it. It is Dudley jumping on the stairs. He knows I hate that.

"Wake up, cousins! I'm going to the zoo! I need my food!" He laughs before racing the rest of the way down the stairs. I roll my eyes and look at Harry.

"Yeah, like _that_ needs any more food." I mutter causing Harry to snort.

"I gotta go. Aunt Petunia needs me to cook the food. Get dressed, we want them in a good mood." I nod before shooing him out of the cupboard only for Dudley to shove him back in with a snorting laugh. I help Harry up and share a sympathetic look with him before he leaves to let me get dressed. All Harry has to wear is Dudley's castoffs. And to be frank, those castoffs could shelter all of Africa. Seeing as I am a girl, I shouldn't wear Dudley's old clothes, but apparently the female Dursley is so vindictive that she would rather have me wear boy clothes than get me second-hand girls clothes. If Dudley's castoffs are constantly falling off Harry, then for me? It is awful. Especially since I actually _have_ a sense of fashion.

I get dressed in a pair of butt ugly grey sweatpants, a baggy grey shirt and a pair of converse. The only reason I have nice shoes is because someone gave Dudley a smaller size than what he actually was. Harry insisted I have them as you could see my toes in my other shoes. Once I finished getting dressed, I brushed my hair and went down the hall to the kitchen.

When I got to the kitchen, I rolled my eyes yet again. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, along with the second television _and_ the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry and I, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise (my theory was Dudley wanted a new toy to flaunt in our faces) - unless of course it involved punching somebody.

Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast. Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry and I had always been small and skinny for our age. Harry looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four million times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright emerald-green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose.

The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it as long as we could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.

"In the car crash when your parents died," she had said. "And don't ask questions."

Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys. The second was - never trust them. And the third was - never get caught. I have a bunch of rules about life. Sadly, the first is: You can't trust anyone, _especially_ not adults. Harry is the one exception to that rule. I can always trust my twin.

I hear Uncle Vernon stomping down the stairs and I hurry in the kitchen next to Harry at the stove. He flashes me a quick smile before dishing out the food. I take the plates over to Dudley (his plate is more of an all you can eat buffet) and Aunt Petunia. She sniffs haughtily at me, looking disapprovingly at my clothes.

"What on earth are you wearing?! You are more boy than girl! Go get Vernon his food!" I clench my fists behind my back as Harry sends a calming wave of empathy to me. Uncle Vernon is the same way with him. They complain about things that we can't change on our own. As if to prove my point, Uncle Vernon enters the kitchen as Harry is turning over the bacon.

"Comb your hair!" He barks, by way of a morning greeting. About once a week, Uncle Vernon looks over the top of his newspaper and shouts that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class _and_ the girls in my class put together, but it makes no difference, his hair simply grows that way - all over the place. Aunt Petunia feels the same way about my hair. It is like Harry's but in a girly way. My hair is black. I have long, loose curls and ever since I can remember, I have had green streaks and purple-tipped hair.

I really love the look, especially since the female Dursley _hates_ it. She says it makes me look like, 'a dirty little hoodlum.' I personally think it looks cool, but then what do I know in comparison to her royal majesty? I am knocked out of my thoughts by Dudley shouting for more food.

"I need more food!"

"Just a moment Dudley, I am making the bacon just the way you like it." Harry calls. Dudley narrows his eyes and looks like he is about to throw a tantrum, so I smoothly intervene.

"Hey Dudley?" I feel a wave of concern from Harry that I push back with a little effort.

"What?" He grunts. I smile sweetly with a tinge of awe. I nearly puke looking at him. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lays smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel - Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig. I disagree. Calling Dudley a pig is an insult to pigs everywhere. I personally think of Dudley as more of a blob fish or maybe one of those naked mole rats. Those two aren't particularly smart, nor are they good looking. So they are _perfect_ representations of Dudley.

"How many presents do you even have? This is so awesome!" Dudley smirks proudly.

"I don't know. Will you help me count them?" Inwardly smirking at my successful diversion of a temper tantrum, I agree.

"Sure Dudley. It is your birthday, whatever you want." I finish counting about an hour before Dudley but outwardly I am 'struggling' to count. He is going to give his parents hell! Last year, Dudley got 38 presents. This year he only has 37. Dudley always wants more, so you can bet on him getting mad at his parents. His parents dote on him and hate it when he is mad at them, so you are very welcome Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.

Harry puts the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. I smile thankfully at him when he slips me a plate. I wolf that down quickly before the female Dursley notices. Dudley, meanwhile, has just finished counting his presents. His face falls. I have to hide my smirk in a cup. Just as I predicted.

"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year." Dear Lord, the blob fish can't even _count_ properly. There is a little girl that lives down the street that could count this pile correctly and in a quarter of the time it took Dudley. The little girl is 3.

"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy." I hate Marge.

"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. I share a glance with Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, so he began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over. Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly,

"And we'll buy you another _two_ presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? _Two_ more presents. Is that all right?'' Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like really hard work. Finally he said slowly,

"So I'll have thirty... Thirty... " Thirty-nine you freaking moron!

"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.

"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then." Uncle Vernon chuckled.

"Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair. At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it. While Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR, I get up and went down the hall into the cupboard. I grabbed the wrapped parcel and go back to the kitchen and hand it to Dudley.

"Here you go, cuz!" I say cheerfully. Dudley looks at the parcel warily. I just smile sweetly and keep it where he can grab it. He does so after second. I have to work hard not to burst out laughing at Harry's shock and surprise drifting through the bond. It is no secret that I don't like Dudley, aside from the fact him and his friends terrorize my twin, Dudley is an all around arse to everyone. But this is no trick...well it is, but not in the way everyone thinks. It won't explode in his face (if only) nor is what inside harmful. The only trick is me manipulating him into letting his guard down with me. You get to Dudley, you get to the adult Dursleys. I gotta worm my way in through their only weakness...their son.

"Thanks!" He rips the wrapping off and gapes at what he finds inside.

"No way! It's a Terminator 2: Judgment Day game boy! It is the newest one! I really wanted this! Thanks cousin!" I nod 'bashfully.' Everyone knows Dudley loves those Terminator movies. Uncle Vernon and Harry stare at me in shock.

"Where did you get the money?" Uncle Vernon barks accusingly.

"I have been doing jobs for the neighbors so that I could get that gift for Dudley." I have also been taking Dudley's loose change he leaves laying around. Uncle Vernon's and Aunt Petunia's too. But he doesn't need to know that little detail. Uncle Vernon narrows his eyes suspiciously. I shrug.

"You can call them, they can tell you I am telling the truth." You gob shite tosser. He gets up and lumbers into the hallway. I can hear him talking to the female Dursley. I get up and get the plates and put them in the sink.

Harry gets up and follows me while Dudley admires his new game.

"What are you doing, Val?" Harry asks me angrily. I turn to him and raise a brow.

"Are you done with your little freak out?" I ask dryly. He flushes and I smirk.

"Yes."

"Okay," I nod and explain.

"The Dursley's hate us." He rolls his eyes.

"You wanna shock me with the truth now?" He asks snarkily.

"The Dursley's adore Dudley. If I am in the good with him, he will eventually start changing their minds."

"But why?" I sigh and start to wash the dishes.

"I hate living in that cupboard. I hate wearing these rags. I hate having to dumb myself down so that we don't get higher grades than Dudley. Need I go on?" Harry shakes his head, a fond smile on his lips.

"What?" I ask defensively.

"Ever the manipulator, dearest twin." I smirk and hold up my hand.

"You know it." I say cockily as he slaps my hand.

I finish and sit at the table while Dudley opens the rest of his presents. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.

"Did they tell you, Uncle Vernon?" I ask both 'politely' and 'sweetly.' He nods angrily and sits down. Aunt Petunia sits next to him.

"Bad news, Vernon. Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take them." She jerks her head in Harry and I's direction. Dudley's mouth falls open in horror, but I smirk. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents take him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry and I have been left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lives two streets away.

We hate it there. The whole house smells of cabbage and Mrs. Figg makes us look at photographs of all the cats she's ever owned.

"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. As if! I am the planner, not him. Harry is more of a spur of the moment person. I knew I should feel sorry for Mrs. Figg but it is kind of hard when you are the one that cause the person to be hurt. Even if it _was_ on accident...kind of. Harry looks happy. At least some good came of this. Besides, it is kind of hard to feel bad when you don't have to eat stale cake or watch the telly on an old television that always breaks up or look at pictures of Tibbles, Kitty, Whiskers and Frisky for a whole year.

"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested. I hold my breath, dread forming in my stomach.

"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy and girl." Relived, I breathe. NO MARGE! Then I roll my eyes. The Dursleys often speak about Harry and I like this. As though we aren't even in the same room - or rather, as though we are something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug. A slug, now there is an idea. Wonder how the Dursley's would like waking up to those in their beds.

"What about what's-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?"

"On vacation in Majorca," snaps Aunt Petunia in a flustered manner.

"You could just leave us here," Harry put in hopefully. I grin, imagining what we could do with this big house in a couple of hours. Hello sweets! That hope was dashed before it even had time to fully form as Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.

"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.

"I won't blow up the house, " said Harry, but they weren't listening. Besides, they really were wary of the wrong twin. While Harry might not blow up the house, _I_ would.

"I suppose we could take them to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly,"... And leave them in the car..."

"That car's new, they are not sitting in it alone..." I roll my eyes. Thanks for the concern Uncle Vernon. Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying - it had been years since he'd really cried -but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.

"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry! Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. Dear Lord, miracles really do happen! I can't believe she fit her arms around him!

"I... Don't... Want... Him... T-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shoots Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms. Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically - and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. The disgusting boy was always trying to flirt with me. As if _I_ would ever go out with something like _that_. The one good thing about Piers being here was Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once. Half an hour later, Harry and I were sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in our lives. The adult Dursleys hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with us but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken us aside. Harry, of course had immediately moved in front of me protectively.

"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy - any funny business, anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas. " I feel bad for Harry. Uncle Vernon's breath must have smell awful.

"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry. "Honestly.." But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did. The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and I and it was just no good telling the Dursleys we didn't make them happen. Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar. " Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. I felt so bad for him.

Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. We had been given a week in the cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly. I was in the cupboard because somehow I must have helped him. Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls) and the harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his (and my) great relief, Harry wasn't punished.

On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney as I had been holding his hand when this happened, I was transported with him. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from our headmistress telling them Harry and I had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of our cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump. My brother could really be a moron a times.

Weird things happened to me all the time too. Once, when I was 3, Dudley was trying to bully me into giving him a toy I found. He was taunting me and I got so mad, the next thing I knew Dudley was flying through the air. He started crying and Aunt Petunia sentenced me to the cupboard for a month. Uncle Vernon drew blood from the lashes for the first time. Another time, I was in school and this girl was making fun of my hair. All of her pretty blonde locks fell out of her head leaving her bald. When it finally grew back it was black hair instead of blonde. And it looked awful. That was inspired by Loki, the Trickster God when he did that to Sif in Norse Mythology. By that time I had figured out I had to really _want_ something to happen and it would, just like I imagined it.

Then, there was the time when I was 8 and I tried to tell one of the Bobbies what the Dursley's did to us but he laughed at me and took me home. He called me a liar and told Uncle Vernon what I said. Not only did I get lashings but I was locked in the cupboard for two weeks and I didn't get any meals. Just an apple every Wednesday. After that, I didn't bother anymore. I had already tried with various teachers but none of them helped. As for the Bobby, I got my revenge.

I followed him to work one day. I spent the day focusing on making everyone think everything he was saying become a lie. He was called a liar and a cheat. At the end of the day he was rethinking things. As he came out the front door, I hopped off the ledge and skipped over to him. I smiled sweetly and asked him how he liked being called a liar when he knew he was telling the truth but no one believed him. Then I turned and skipped away. He stood there and stared after me. He transferred to a new precinct that night. But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, the cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.

While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, Valyn, the council, Valyn, Harry, the bank, and the twins were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.

"... Roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.

"I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying." I shook my head. Honestly, there is no excuse. After growing up with me, he really should know better than that. Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache:

"MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!" Dudley and Piers sniggered.

"I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream." I could feel his regret through the bond and so I absorbed it and sent back amusement. He snickered while I mimed an angry Uncle Vernon.

If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was us talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon - they seemed to think we might get dangerous ideas. Little did they know, my mind is always running dangerous ideas for them through my head. It was a perk of having an eidetic mind. If my mind had its way, the Dursleys would be dead millions of times over. Unfortunately that was the one thing that would refuse happen, no matter how badly I wanted it to come true.

* * *

It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry and I what we wanted before they could hurry us away, they bought us each a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either. I was licking it as we watched a gorilla scratching its head when Harry nudged me in the side.

"Don't you think that gorilla looks remarkably like Dudley? The only difference is it isn't blond." I snicker before making a mockingly serious face.

"That's not entirely true you know." At his questioning look, I smirk. "The difference is the gorilla actually has more than half a brain cell." Harry snorts with laughter as we continue to the fish aquariums.

Harry and I have been having the best morning we've had in a long time. We were careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting my Twin. After we heard a lion roar and looked around to see it only to find Dudley, the Dursley took us to a restaurant.

We were only allowed to get a cheap soup but it tasted pretty good and when Dudley had a tantrum because his Knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry and I were allowed to finish the first. I really should have known it was all too good to last.

After lunch Dudley wanted to go to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can - but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fasta sleep. Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.

"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.

"Do it again, " Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.

"This is boring, " Dudley moaned. He shuffled away. Harry and I moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. We wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself - no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up because Uncle Vernon was to fat to fit through the doorway; at least we got to visit the rest of the house. The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes.

Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. It winked. Harry and I stared.

"Harry." I tugged on his arm, but he shrugged me off.

"Harry!"

"What?" He finally snaps at me. I cross my arms and pop my hip out.

"Did you know that snakes, all snakes do. NOT. HAVE. EYELIDS?" I ask him sharply.

"So?" He shrugs his shoulders and turns back to the snake. So I grab his arm.

"If all snakes don't have eyelids, then how did a snake managed to wink at us? Seems kind of odd and out of the ordinary, huh?" It takes him a few moments before his eyes widen.

"Oh, you think this has something to do with what we can do?" I nod.

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay." Harry nods. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked backat the snake and winked, too. The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:'I get that all the time.'

Cue shock.

"I know, " Harry murmured through the glass. "It must be really annoying." The snake nodded vigorously.

"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked. The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it. _Boa Constrictor, Brazil_.

"Was it nice there?" I roll my eyes and hit him in the arm.

"Ow!" He jerks his arm away. So I silently point at the sign. Harry read on: _This specimen was bred in the zoo_. "Oh, I see - so you've never been to Brazil?" As the snake shook its head, I felt a sense of sympathy.

"You never knew your parents either?" It turned its head to me and shook its head. I sneak a look around.

"What would you say if we could get you out of here? When we get you out, you will have to wait for us. We can take you with us when we go back to our own personal hell." It nods its head eagerly. Harry turns to me with a grin.

"What's the plan?" Before I can answer, a deafening shout behind Harry makes both of us jump.

"Holy shit." I mutter before Harry gives me a disproving look. We don't time have to argue over swearing though as Piers shouts as loud as he can.

"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T _BELIEVE_ WHAT IT'S DOING!" Dudley came waddling toward us as fast as he could. I quickly got out of the way. Being steamrolled over by Dudley didn't seem appealing to me. Harry didn't have the same foresight as I did though.

"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Anger rushes through me as caught by surprise, Harry falls hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror. Harry sat up and gasped and I ran to his side. The glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished and Dudley and Piers were locked on the other side.

"Harry, did you-"

"I only made the glass disappear. You did the rest." Dudley and Piers were freaking out on the other side of the glass as tons of little snakes started crawling all over them.

The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry and I could have sworn a low, hissing voice said,

"Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo."

"Remember your promise!" I shout after it. The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.

"But the glass," he kept saying, "How did they get past the glass?" The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snakes hadn't done anything except crawl all over them, _much_ to my disappointment. By the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how the snakes had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing the little babies had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, was Piers calming down enough to say,

"Harry and Valyn were hissing at it. Like they were talking to it, weren't you, guys?" Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on them. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say,

"Go - cupboard - stay - no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy. Harry and I lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing we had a watch. We didn't know what time it was and there was no way either of us could be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, we couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.

We've lived with the Dursleys almost ten years. Ten miserable years, and as long as we could remember, ever since we've been babies and our parents had died in that car crash we had been depending on each other. neither of us could remember being in the car when our parents had died. Sometimes, when Harry strained his memory during long hours in the cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.

This, we supposed, was the crash, though neither of us could imagine where all the green light came from, our best guess was the traffic lights when it was green, but then we had to wonder why the light was so bright. Harry couldn't remember our parents at all. The Dursleys never spoke about them, and of course we were forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house. When we had been younger, Harry and I had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take us away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were our only piss-poor excuse of a family. Sometimes when I strained my memory, I would get flashes of red hair and a strange hummed haunting melody, hazel eyes, a barking dog, amber eyes, stained hands gently rocking me, and running around with another little boy. It was all we knew.

Yet sometimes we thought (or maybe just hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know Harry. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley before turning to me with shock and exclaiming about a love being strong enough to save me. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything.

A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at us once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken Harry's hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry and I tried to get a closer look. At school, we have no one. Everybody knows that Dudley's gang hates that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses and his quiet twin with those oddly enchanting eyes, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.

* * *

A/N: Can you guess who the snake is? And this is completely cannon, except where the snake comes with them. But the boa constrictor in the zoo is completely cannon. The first person to figure it out gets a preview of the next chapter and a shout out.


	4. Chapter 4: Letters

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: All outfits are on my profile. A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

Reviews are always appreciated!

ShadowHunter19 was the first to guess correctly! It was...'s snake! Ha, bet you all hate me for not telling you who's snake it was! You can still guess though until I get to the chapter where I re-introduce the snake again.

I also want to give a shout out to my first two follow and favorite's: ShadowHunter19 (my sister, check out her stories) and vivekgk3, thanks for your support!

**Chapter Four: The Letter's From No One**

* * *

The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor (who still hasn't showed up) earned Harry and I our longest-ever punishment. By the time we were allowed out of the cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and the first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches. Harry was glad school was over while I wasn't. School was the one escape from the Dursley's for me. Harry just was happy he was playing the prey for Harry Hunting everyday anymore, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who (unfortunately) visited the house every single day.

Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting. That was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came we would be going to secondary school and, for the first time in our life, there would be no more Dudley.

Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry and I, on the other hand, were going to Stonewall High, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.

"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry and I. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"

"No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it - it might be sick."

"Yeah, Dudders." I cut in. "The toilets aren't made for blob fish. Besides, I highly doubt your head would even fit. I don't want to be the one to tell your mom why the toilet is cracked, broken and leaking water everywhere!" Then we ran snickering, before Dudley could work out what we'd said.

One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry and I at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg 'tripping over' one of her cats (that I scared in her direction), and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let us watch television and gave us a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years. Harry wouldn't let me drug her so we could have free reign of the kitchen. Boys...honestly. No sense of fun.

That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the 'family' in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life. As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up.

Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh. I had to leave the room and go to the basement where they had sound proof walls. I laughed so hard my stomach ached for days after.

There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry and I went in for breakfast. We share a confused look before simultaneously clasping our noses shut. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. We share another look. I wanted Harry to go look, he wanted me to go look. I smirked evilly. He knew if he didn't look, I would end up revealing something really embarrassing on 'accident' at school. He went to have a look.

The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.

"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if either of us dared to ask a question.

"You and your sisters new school uniform," she said. Harry looked in the bowl again.

"Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."

"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished." Harry and I exchanged glances, seriously doubting this, but thought it best not to argue. We sat down at the table and tried not to think about how we were going to look on our first day at Stonewall High. Like we were wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.

I nudge Harry in the shoulder and lean in.

"I still have a ton of money left over from doing all the jobs. We can stop at a thrift store when we are walking to school and get new clothes that actually fit. Then when school ends we can change back into the illegal elephant skin." I whisper. Harry shares a thankful glance with me.

Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from our new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table. They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.

"Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper. I silently mock gasp and clutch at my chest. Making Dudley do anything was unheard of. Harry snickered but that stopped when Dudley replied.

"Make Harry get it." Now it was my turn to snicker at him. Judging by the sour look on his face, it wasn't well received.

"Get the mail, Harry." Uncle Vernon tells him.

"Make Dudley get it."

"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley." Harry dodged the Smelting stick and gave Dudley a look before pointing at me.

"Why doesn't Val get it?" I smirk and toss an arm around (on a tiny portion, my arm isn't_ that_ long) Dudley's shoulder.

"Why, that's because I am his favorite cousin!" I turn to Dudley with a grin.

"Right cuz?" Dudley smirks.

"Right!" He confirms. I turn back to Harry and wave my hands at him in a shooing motion.

"Don't you have some mail to get?" He glare before leaving. I can feel hurt and rejection coming from our bond, so I sigh and get up.

"Wait!" I catch up to him. "It's all part of the plan, bro. You _know_ I don't mean to hurt you. Dudley might, but not me. Never me." I show him my feelings as proof. I only meant to have a light-hearted joke. Harry relaxes and sends a slightly guilty look my way.

"Sorry for over reacting. I just got a little jealous. You only ever joke around like that with me." I grin then mock frown.

"No, no, no! _I_ am the possessive twin. **Not** you!" I point at him. As much as I am joking, it is also the truth. I am an extremely possessive twin. Harry is _mine_ (in a purely platonic way) and I don't like to share, so I know how he feels. I hug him.

"Sorry twin, next time I'll warn you. I'll send you a bit of annoyance before I am about to 'gang up' on you with Blob." Harry grins and nods. Just like that, we are good. Sometimes I wonder if it is like this with other twins, but I have never met any other twins. I think it would be cool to though. Harry bends down and gets the mail. I peek over his shoulder as he flips through them.

There were only three letters. One was a post card from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge (the bloody wanker), who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - a letter for Harry. Harry sends me a baffled look and I shrug. Harry picks it up and stares at it, through the bond I can tell he is excited, worried and hopeful. Hope can be a dangerous thing, especially when it is taken away. Never the less, I share his confusion. No one, ever, in our whole life, had written to either of us. Who would? We have no friends, no other relatives - he didn't belong to the library (I did), so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back (I always returned mine on time.)

Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:

_Mr. H. Potter,_

_The Cupboard under the Stairs,_

_ 4 Privet Drive,_

_ Little Whinging,_

_Surrey_

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp. Harry turned the envelope over, and I could see his hand trembling. I grabbed his hand in mine in a silent show of support. Harry gave a shaky smile before turning the letter over. We saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.

"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. Harry and I jump before laughing shakily. As stupid as it may sound, it felt like we were at the cusp of something new. Something good.

"What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" Uncle Vernon chuckled at his own joke. Harry and I slowly walked back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He dazedly handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard and sat down with yellow envelope. Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.

"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. I snickered. I guess dreams really do come true. "Ate a funny whelk."

"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!" Panicked I turn to my twin. I didn't think he would open it here at the table. Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon. I made a desperate grab for it but Uncle Vernon held it out of our reach.

"That's mine!" Harry shouted indignantly, trying to snatch it back.

"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge. Intrigue stirred in me as he turned to the female Dursley.

"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped. Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it higher out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.

"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!" They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry, Dudley and I were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.

"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.

"I want to read it," Harry said furiously, "As it's mine." I rolled my eyes. Since when has Uncle Vernon ever cared about things like that?

"Get out, all of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope. Harry didn't move, so I stood by him. If he wasn't leaving, I was going to stay and have his back.

"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.

"Let _me_ see it!" demanded Dudley.

"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. When I didn't move, he advanced on me.

"Uncle Vernon, that is Harry's letter. If you won't let him read it, perhaps you could tell us the general gist of what it was about." He seemed to double in size as he took a deep breath, not unlike a bull frog.

"You and your freak brother," he grabbed me by my hair. "Are never going to that freak school!" He spits out. "Freaks the lot of you!" He tosses me out into the hallway and I groan in pain when my finger gets dislocated. Harry rushes over to me.

"Are you okay?" He asks frantically. I hold my hand out. He winces at the unnatural angle my finger is at. I cut the pain out of our bond and send reassurance instead. I smile brightly at him.

"Don't worry bro." I grimace as I gently grab my finger. I take a deep breath.

"What are you do-" He cringes as I pop my finger back into its socket. I cringe in pain, but refuse to let out a sound or the pain. Harry hovers with a helpless look on his face. I go limp as the pain recedes.

"I'm fine." I push him out of the way and get to the door. I drop to the floor and press an ear to the crack under the door. Harry and Dudley promptly have a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lays flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor with me.

"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "Look at the address - how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"

"Watching - spying - might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.

"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want - -" We could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.

"No, " he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer... Yes, that's best... We won't do anything..."

"But - - "

"I'm not having one or even two in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took them in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?" We all share a look before silently scrambling away before we got caught.

Harry and I went into the cupboard. Harry paces angrily, or as much as you can pace in a cupboard while I lounged on the ratty mattress. I sigh and sit up.

"Harry." He doesn't answer me.

"HARRY!" I shout and he turns to me. "Will you stop that?" I ask exasperated. "You're making me jittery." He slumps on the bed.

"I just wish I had that letter." He says dejectedly. I nod understandingly.

"I know, but at least we know somethings." He turns to me, interested.

"Go on."

"Well," I list on my fingers. "First, whoever is writing you knows our living conditions. Two, Uncle said something about a school. Last but not least, Uncle Vernon called the writer a freak." Harry looks confused.

"So?" I give him a frustrated look.

"Harry! I want you to think for a second, as impossible as that sounds. Focus! Uncle Vernon calls us freaks. When?" A dawning look of comprehension is on Twin's face.

"When we do magic." Harry whispers. He suddenly looks up. "What was that about a school?" I grin.

"I got it out of him before he tossed me out. Uncle Vernon said, 'You and your freak brother, are never going to that freak school. Freaks the lot of you!' Then he tossed me out. Harry! This could be something about our parents! Maybe we aren't the only ones who can do this!" I raise a hand and _want_ and imagine Harry's little army toys to float in the air. Harry nods.

"I agree. We _need_ to get that letter."

* * *

That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry and I in the cupboard.

"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed his head through the door. "Who's writing to me?"

"No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly.

"Yeah right!" I snap. "Like we are going to believe that!" Uncle Vernon gives me an angry look.

"It doesn't matter! I have burned it."

"It was not a mistake," Harry said angrily, "It had our cupboard on it!"

"SILENCE!" Uncle Vernon yelled and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breath sand then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.

"Er - yes, Harry - about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking... You're really getting a bit big for it... We think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."

"Why?" said Harry while my heart sinks in my chest. He didn't say anything about me moving with him.

"Don't ask questions!" snaps Uncle Vernon. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."

"Alright!" Harry snaps at him before turning to me. "C'mon Val, get your stuff."

"Oh, no boy." Uncle Vernon sneers nastily. "She isn't going with you. You are both older now, which means you can no longer sleep in the same room. We don't want any funny business."

"Oh, gross!" We shout in unison, moving away from each other. I wrinkle my face in disgust. Harry's face looks a bit green.

"Well if she isn't moving with me, where is she going to sleep?" Harry manages to ask.

"In here. With you moving out, she will have plenty of room." I feel like I am going to cry. One look at Harry dissuades me from that though. He looks like _he_ is going to cry. So, like a big girl, I push my tears and hurt out and lock it away. My face settles into a neutral mask and I nod.

"What? No!" Harry shouts. I turn to him.

"Relax bro. We really can't sleep in the same room. I do need my privacy." I joke, trying to prevent him from crying...or attacking Uncle Vernon...though I wouldn't really care if he did do that.

"Val-" I cut him off.

"Harry. Go." He stands and stares at me. I need him to go. He needs to move into that room. _I'll be fine._ I convey to him through my eyes. _Go._ He swallows and nods. We both know if he doesn't go, the Dursley's will do something drastic. We all have to make sacrifices and right now I am asking a huge one of him. I am asking him to let it go. I'll be fine. I am a survivor.

Harry slowly gathers his stuff, his every movement sluggish. I can tell he is going against every protective bone in his body. He wants to stay and protect me, but he has to go. After he leaves with one last tortured look, I sit on the bed. The room seems empty somehow. I don't like it. For our whole life, Harry and I have been side to side, back to back, me and him against the world. It feels wrong to be this far apart. The bond is holding true though. As long as I have Harry, I won't ever truly be alone. That is the one thought that continues to plague me as I curl up in the middle of the mattress fighting back my tears. Holding back the wails that threaten to rip through my throat.

* * *

The Dursley's house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's mole rat of a sister, Marge), one where Dudley sleeps, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to the new room. I knocked on the door frame and he looked up.

He smiled weakly when he saw me leaning on the door frame.

"Why the long face, bro?" I ask brightly. Harry's face crumbles and he looks down at his hands.

"I'm a horrible older brother!" He blurts out. I hurry into the room.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa bro! I told you to leave! And there is no proof that you are the oldest." Harry looks at me.

"I shouldn't have left, and I am the oldest." I smirk.

"Until I see some paperwork, I refuse to believe a knucklehead like you is the oldest. Clearly as the prettiest, smartest, cleverest, prettiest, smartest-"

"Okay!" Harry laughs. "I get it!" He relaxes and I twine my arm in his and put my head on his shoulder.

"Ever the martyr, Twin. You know this was my choice so don't disrespect it." He nods and rests his head on my shoulder.

After a few seconds he lifts his head and looks around. Nearly everything in here is broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.

From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother.

"I don't want him in there... I need that room... Make him get out..." Harry sighs and stretches out on the bed. I sit with my back to the wall and put his feet on my lap. I know how he is feeling. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Now, he'd rather be back in our cupboard together with that letter than up here without it. I look at Twin. He is staring morosely up at he ceiling. I push at his legs until he looks at me.

"Want some help cleaning up? It's why I am up here." Harry nods so I go downstairs and get a few garbage bags, cleaning solutions, scrubbing brushes and rags before jogging up the steps.

For the rest of the afternoon we clean the room. We have to get rid of a lot of stuff that was broken beyond repair but the stuff that could be fixed, I would be taking down to the cupboard to fix it. When I fixed the stuff, I would be keeping the video camera, one of the art sets (Harry and I share a love of drawing), the flute, a small dagger, some of the smaller clothes, and some of the books that had more than one copy (I could always borrow a book from Harry) and a few of the blank leather bound journals Dudley didn't care about.

Harry keeps pretty much everything else. There were two different CD players in there, one is red and the other is green. I got the green one and Harry took the red. Lucky for us, there were a ton of CD's that Dudley didn't want, so we split them. There were also a few packs of batteries and two flashlights. I really don't like sleeping in the dark. Normally I would have Harry to help but since he is moving to the second bedroom, a flashlight will have to do.

After we finish, I have to go downstairs and complete my other chores. That night, I don't sleep well at all. Nightmare plague my sleep.

* * *

Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back. I look at Harry and I can tell he is thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia keep looking at each other darkly. When the mail arrives, Uncle Vernon, who seems to be trying to be nice to Harry and I, makes Dudley go and get it. When he goes down the hallway we can hear him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. We all wait tensely. Then Dudley shouts out.

"There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive -'" With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leaps from his seat and runs down the hall, Harry and I right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind and I was wrestling Dudley's hand trying to get him to drop the letter.

After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.

"Go to your cupboard - I mean, your bedroom," he wheezes at Harry. "You get to the cupboard." He points at me and turns to his son. "Dudley - go - just go." In the cupboard, I try and fix the binoculars, but it is hard for me when I can feel Harry's frustration and anxiety. I can also hear him walking round and round his new room. Someone knows he moved out of the cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again?

But I couldn't help but wonder if we should even want them to. I mean, if they know how we are living, then why aren't they busting down the door trying to help us get away from our personal hell? This isn't normal. Kids don't live in cupboards or get beaten to the point of passing out in a normal home. So why aren't they trying to help us? All thoughts aside, I need to fix the watch I found in Dudley's room quickly. I get the feeling Harry is going to try and get that letter before Uncle Vernon does tomorrow. I need to help him, even if I get a beating for it. I set the alarm for 5:30 and settle into the thin mattress.

Surprisingly enough, I end up falling asleep, but I wake up before my alarm goes off. I usually do, I just set the alarm in case I didn't wake up like I normally do. Better to be safe than sorry I wasn't there for Harry. I get out my lock picks and unscrew the small grate on the cupboard door. I gently twist it and it comes sliding onto my lap. Then I stick my arm through the hole in the door and maneuver the lock pick. I slide it into the lock and wiggle it a bit.

There. It unlocks with an almost inaudible click. I open the door and pick up the grate. I quickly put it back on the door and go into the cupboard leaving it unlocked. I hide the tools and grin silently into the dark. Now I can just say Uncle Vernon forgot to lock it. There is no proof of anything else. Normally I just wish the lock to unlock but I want to be at full strength in case Harry needs me.

While I wait, I get an apple and munch on it core and all. At six I feel the bond stirring. Awareness is creeping through and I know Harry is awake. I glance at the black watch with a glowing green face and I see it is no where near the time my Twin usually wakes up. He usually wakes up around 7 because the female Dursley gets up at 7:30. A few seconds later I can hear Harry creep down the steps. I time it so when I step out the cupboard I will be right behind him.

I tap him on the shoulder and he whirls around waving his arms a look of alarm on his face. I grin and lower the flashlight so he can see it is me. He mock clutches his chest and I silently snicker. A little calmer, we pad closer to the door. I start in shock as Harry leaps into the air; and I turn on the flashlight. He'd trodden on Uncle Vernon. Lights click on upstairs and to Harry's horror, Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face.

Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry and I didn't do exactly what we'd been trying to do. With a muffled bellow he got out of the sleeping bag. He shouted at Harry and I for about half an hour and then told Harry to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, I'd gotten threatened with the whip, and the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap.

We could see three letters addressed in green ink.

"I want - -" Harry began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes. I tried to grab some but Uncle Vernon grabbed by the arm and took me downstairs. 20 lashes later and I was walking gingerly into the kitchen to make the Dursley's breakfast. I was disheartened to see Uncle Vernon wasn't going to work today. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.

"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "If they can't deliver them they'll just give up."

"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon." For once in our lives, Aunt Petunia and I were in complete agreement. My only conclusion was hell was starting to freeze over.

"Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him. I could barely hold back my snort. For someone who was so determined to be normal, they were so freaking abnormal it wasn't even funny. At least, it was kind of hard for me to think it was funny when I was bleeding from the lashes in my back. I could feel my magic healing them though and the more I moved the less pain there was. The good thing about my magic, was it healed me in as little time as possible. The bad thing, I usually didn't have evidence for the people I tried to tell about the abuse. And while my pain threshold is no doubt higher than most 11, 12, 13, and 14 year olds, I still don't like to have to feel the pain.

* * *

On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom. Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out.

He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises. On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Owls were all around the house and twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.

"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement. On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy. Harry and I shared sour looks because we knew why he was so happy.

"No post on Sundays," he reminded us cheerfully as he spreads marmalade on his newspapers, "No damn letters today - -" Jinx. Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one. I leaned down and picked one off the floor and slipped it in my shirt. I sat back up and put a look of open mouthed shock on my face.

"Out! OUT!" Uncle Vernon seized Harry and I around the waist and threw us into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. We could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.

"That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his mustache at the same time. "I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!" He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that none of us dared argue. Ten minutes later we wrenched our way through the boarded-up doors and got in the car. While Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley argued about his TV, I nudged Harry and showed him a corner of the letter.

Harry's eyes widen with shock and excitement and I can feel relief and happiness coming from our bond. I lean over and whisper to him.

"We just have to wait until we stop to sleep somewhere and then we can open it." Harry nods and squeezes my hand in thanks. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley all get and Uncle Vernon speeds toward the highway.

Dudley was sniffling next to me because his father had hit him round the head for holding us up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag. We drove...and we drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where we were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while.

"Shake'em off... Shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this. We didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer. Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry share a room and I am forced to sleep on the floor at the end of the bed Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia sleep in. Through the thin walls I can hear Dudley snoring.

I try to go to Harry but every time I get up, Uncle Vernon is still awake and I have to disguise it as a bathroom break. I can feel Harry's anxiety but I send calming waves of reassurance to him. Neither of us fall asleep that nigh. When we got up we had to eat stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast as that was all the owner had. We had just finished eating and gotten up to leave when the owner of the hotel came over to our table.

"'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk." She held up a letter so we could read the green ink address:

_Mr. H. Potter,_

_ Room 17,_

_ Rail-view Hotel,_

_ Cokeworth_

Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.

"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.

"Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of us knew. Though I could guess he wanted a secluded place that the letters wouldn't be able to reach. Although _how_ exactly he was going find such a place seeing as owls could _fly_, I really don't know. He drove us into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off we went again.

The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.

"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. You know it must be bad when even Dudley knows something is wrong. I'm still waiting for a moment when we can stop so Harry could read his letter.

Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked us all inside the car, and disappeared. It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled.

"It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television." Monday. That reminded me. Tomorrow is Harry's birthday. _If_ it was Monday - and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television - then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun - last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. Still, you weren't eleven every day. Actually, he would be eleven for a whole year. Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. Oh joy.

Creepily enough, he was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.

"Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!" It was very cold outside the car so Harry and I had to huddle together. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there.

"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!" A toothless old man came ambling up to us, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below us.

"We are going to die!" I groan, turning to Harry.

"I've already got us some rations, " said Uncle Vernon, "So all aboard!" It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down our necks and a chilly wind whipped our faces. After what seemed like hours we finally reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house. The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms. Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas. He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up.

"Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully. No one bothered to answer. He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. Harry and I privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer either of us up at all. As night fell, the promised storm blew up around us. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows.

Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry and I were left to find the softest bit of floor we could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket. The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry and I couldn't sleep. Harry shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger.

Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told us he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. We lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.

I tapped Harry's shoulder and he looked down at the birthday cake I drew on the floor with dust which reads, Happy Birthday Harry. He smiles softly and nudges his shoulder and mine. I sit up and pull out the letter, a flashlight, and a small wrapped parcel and hand them to him.

"Happy bleated birthday Harry." I whisper to him. He grins and hugs the presents close. We look at my watch to see when Harry can open his letter. Five minutes to go. I whip my head up at the door.

"What is it?" Harry asks.

"I thought I heard something creak outside." I mutter.

"I hope the roof isn't going to fall in, although we might be warmer if it did." He mutters back and I smile. Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when we got back that we'd be able get our stuff and escape the Dursley house somehow. Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea? One minute to go and Harry'd be eleven. Thirty seconds... Twenty... Ten... Nine - maybe we could wake Dudley up, just to annoy him or put some sticks up his nose, or find a snail and put it on his face, or tickle his face with a feather to get him to slap himself- three... Two... One... BOOM. The whole shack shivers and Harry and I sat bolt upright, staring at the door.

Someone was outside, knocking to come in.

The last thought I had before the door exploded inward was, 'Oh shit, we're all going to die and Harry still hasn't gotten to open his letter or my other present to him yet.'


	5. Chapter 5: Witch and Wizard

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: All outfits are on my profile. A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

A/N: _Italics is Valyn using her eyes and body language to convey her message to her twin, and Italics with underline is Harry_ responding. The twins cannot read each others minds, they are just in tune with each other and knowing each others feelings helps them figure out what the other twin is trying to 'say.' I repeat, **THEY CAN'T READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS!  
**

Reviews are always appreciated!

**Chapter 5: Keeper of Keys**

* * *

BOOM.

The person knocks again. Harry and I flinch as next to us, Dudley jerks awake.

"Where's the cannon?" he asks stupidly, and I roll my eyes at his moronic question. There is a crash behind us and we whirl around in alarm. Uncle Vernon had come skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands. At least we now know what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with him.

"Who's there?" he shouts. "I warn you - I'm armed!" Yeah, that's Uncle Vernon; Armed and blubbery. There is a pause. Then, with a loud SMASH! The door is hit with such force that it swings clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash lands flat on the floor. A giant of a man is standing in the doorway. His face is almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but I can make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.

The giant squeezes his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushes the ceiling. He bends down, picks up the door, and fits it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside drops a little. He turns to look at us all. Harry moves in front of me. I groan in annoyance. Now I can't see anything. While Harry was short, I am a girl and therefor, shorter. I stand on my tip-toes and rest my chin on Harry's shoulder.

"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..." His voice is scratchy but carries an odd warmth that is familiar. It makes me want to trust him. I quickly and ruthlessly squash that urge. I have learned in life it is never a good idea to trust anyone right off the bat. You have to spend a minimum of a year with them before you can trust. It is the only way you won't get hurt and even then you run the risk of caring too much and getting hurt when they decide to leave you. Everyone eventually leaves.

I am shaken out of my thoughts when the giant man strides over to the sofa where Dudley is sitting frozen with fear.

"Budge up, yeh great lump," says the stranger. Dudley squeaks and runs to hide behind his mother. I stumble and Harry turns to catch me.

"What's wrong?" He asks worriedly. I smirk.

"Earthquake." I say innocently. Harry's face is blank before he gets it. He snickers before we turn, in perfect unison back to the mysterious stranger. I glimpse the female Dursley, who is crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.

"An' here's Harry an' Valyn!" said the giant as though we have been having a conversation. Harry and I look up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and we see that the beetle eyes are crinkled in a smile. "Las' time I saw you, you were only lil' babies! " The giant man exclaims. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes." He says to Harry before turning to me. "An' yur the same! 'Cept yur eyes are a bit darker and 'ave silver in 'em." Almost against my will, I am drawn closer to the man. Harry grabs my arm and I realize I took a step forward. So great was my longing to hear more about our dead parents that I let my boundaries down. I nod my thanks at Harry before resuming my place by his side, a politely curious mask back in place; Feelings shoved down where I can't examine them.

Uncle Vernon makes a funny rasping noise and all eyes are drawn to him.

"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" He blusters. "You are breaking and entering!" His face is changing colors again.

"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," says the giant. Then he reaches over the back of the sofa, jerks the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bends it into a knot as easily as if it has been made of rubber, and throws it into a corner of the room. Uncle Vernon makes another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on. My respect for this giant of a man raises a few notches. Anyone that could and would dismiss and cow Uncle Vernon as easily as swatting a fly has to have some of my respect. That kind of power can't be disregarded.

"Anyway, Harry an' Valyn," says the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, once again disregarding the Dursleys causing the notch to go up another spot. "A very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here - I might a sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right." From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulls a slightly squashed box. Harry takes it warily and I open it, as I see Harry's fingers are trembling and it is never a good idea to reveal a weakness, much less to a person you don't know.

Inside the box was a large, sticky chocolate cake. Written on it are the words:

_Happy Birthday_

_ Harry and Valyn_

In green icing. I can feel Harry's shock and swell of an odd sort of sadness and I feel it too. Strange that the first true gift we receive from this stranger be something that not even our own blood would even think of getting for us. This is the first time anyone other than us have wished each other a Happy Birthday. It is our first cake. We seem to be having a lot of milestones today, I muse, shaking myself out of this mood. We look up at the giant.

Harry suddenly tenses and I stiffen as well.

"Who are you?" Harry asks rudely and I elbow him in the side. He yelps and looks at me.

_He gives us our first present and the first thing you say is, Who are_ you? Me.

_Well sorry! I meant to say thank you but it got lost in translation!_ Harry.

I snort and turn back to the man, our silent conversation over. The giant chuckles.

"True, I 'aven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." He throws out his chest with pride and holds out an enormous hand. Harry places his hand in the other mans and he shakes Harry's whole arm. "What about that tea then, eh?" He asks, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind." I stiffen again.

Alcohol and men never mix well in my experience. His eyes fall on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorts. I grin. I have the dagger in my small bag that I could have used to start a fire earlier with, but I wouldn't give the Dursley's the satisfaction of being warm. Harry agrees with me. Hagrid bends down over the fireplace to start it. I step forward.

"I could start a fire for you if you would like?" I offer politely. It is always a good idea to stay on a person's good side, you never know when you may need to call in a favor or something. He turns to me in surprise before beckoning me closer.

"I don' need help, but thank you for yer offer." I nod and go back to Harry, careful that I don't turn my back on the man or the Dursleys. I watch curiously but I can't see what he is doing at the fire. Never the less when he draws away, there is a roaring fire. It fills the whole damp hut with flickering light and I feel Harry's contentment from the bond. I relax into Harry's side as the warmth from the fire washes over me. I imagine this is what a hot bath would feel like. Neither of us would really know though. When we need to wash, the female Dursley has us strip in the back yard and sprays us down with the hose.

The giant sits back down on the sofa, which sags under his weight, and begins taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he takes a swig from before starting to make tea. I make a mental note to keep far away from him. Soon the alcohol will get into his system and I don't want to be in arms reach should his temper get out hand.

Soon the hut is full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody says a thing while the giant is working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgets a little. Uncle Vernon says sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."

The giant chuckles darkly. "Yet great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry." He passes three of the sausages to Harry and three to me. I look at it warily and Harry nudges me in the side. He takes a bite of each of my sausages to let me know it isn't poisoned. I smile my thanks and dig into my sausages. I hum happily as the taste of the sausages and my eyes drift closed. I feel Harry grinning through the bond and send a happy grin back. It tasted so wonderful, but neither of us took our eyes off of the giant.

Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, Harry spoke up.

"I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are." The giant takes a gulp of tea and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Call me Hagrid," he said, "Everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o'course." He assumes, turning back to his tea. Harry and I exchange glances.

"Er - no," Harry awkwardly replies. Hagrid looks shocked.

"Sorry." Harry apologizes quickly. I roll my eyes and pinch him on the leg. He sighs exasperated. He knows I hate it when he apologizes for something he can't help.

"Sorry?" Hagrid barks angrily , turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrink back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yet parents learned it all?" I grin. I knew it!

"All what?" Harry asks. I nudge him in the side.

"All we can do Harry. I told you our parents must have been like us! We aren't freaks. In this room, the only freaks are _them_." I point victoriously at the cowering Dursleys.

"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thunders. "Now wait jus' one second!" He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall. It was the best thing I had ever seen. "Do you mean ter tell me," he growls at the Dursleys, "That these children, know nothin' abou'- about ANYTHING?" Now that was going to far. Harry had a good handle on our school stuff and we would be at the top of our class and even skipping a few grades if the Dursley's didn't hold us back and have us do worse in school than Dudley.

"We know some things," I speak up. "We can, you know, do math and stuff. We can even-" But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "Not that stuff. About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."

"What world?" Harry and I ask in perfect unison, our voices blending into one. Hagrid looks as if he is about to explode.

"DURSLEY!" he booms. Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispers something that sounds like 'Mimblewimble.' I feel a vindictive sort of pleasure at him being so thoroughly cowed by Hagrid.

Speaking of, Hagrid stares wildly at Harry and I in shock. "But yeh must know about yet mum and dad." he says. "I mean, they're famous. Yur famous."

"What? My - our mom and dad weren't famous, were they?" Harry asks.

"Yeh don' know... Yeh don' know..." Hagrid runs his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry and I with a bewildered stare. "Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he asks finally. Uncle Vernon suddenly finds his voice.

"Stop!" he commands and I can't help but flinch. I am completely on edge right now. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy and girl anything!" A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; and when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.

"You never told them? Never told them what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer them? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?" So Hagrid was part of the reason why we grew up in hell. All respect for Hagrid is gone. Such a colossal mistake can never be forgive nor forgotten.

"Kept what from us?" Harry asks eagerly.

"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" Uncle Vernon yells in panic. Aunt Petunia gives a gasp of horror.

"Ah, go boil yet heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry and Valyn - yer a witch and a wizard." There is silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind can be heard.

"A what?" Harry gasps.

"A witch and wizard, o' course," Hagrid says as though it should be obvious and I can't help but sneer. He sits back down on the sofa, which groans and sinks even lower, "An' thumpin' good'uns, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter." Harry stretches out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope but I knock his hand out of the way. I give Harry the one I got from the kitchen and with a half smile, I gesture for him to open it.

While he is reading it, I smirk at the outraged Dursleys and flash them a cocky grin. Harry finishes reading it and hands it to me. Addressed in emerald green it is like the other letters. It says:

_Mr. H. Potter, _

_The Floor, _

_Hut-on-the-Rock, _

_The Sea_

I pull out the letter and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. , Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)

_Dear Mr. Potter, _

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. _

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. _

_Yours sincerely, _

**_Minerva McGonagall, _**

**_Deputy Headmistress _**

Questions explode inside my head like fireworks and I can't decide which to ask first. Harry beats me to the punch.

"What does it mean, they await my owl?" Hagrid's mouth opens with shock and he holds up a finger. I lean over and whisper to Harry,

"Light-bulb moment!" He snickers while I just smirk.

"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," Hagrid exclaims, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulls an owl - a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl - a long quill, and a roll of parchment. That poor owl, that counts as animal abuse.

With his tongue between his teeth Hagrid scribbles a note that Harry and I can and do read upside down:

_Dear Professor Dumbledore, _

_Given Harry his letter. Taking him to buy his things tomorrow. Weather's horrible. _

_Hope you're Well._

_Hagrid_

Hagrid rolls up the note, gives it to the owl, who clamps it in its beak, goes to the door, and throws the owl out into the storm. Then he comes back and sits down as though this is as normal as talking on the telephone. I look at Harry and nudge him with a barely concealed grin.

I watch as Harry realizes his mouth is hanging open and closes it quickly.

"Where was I?" Hagrid asks but at that moment, I interrupt him.

"Why isn't there a letter for me?" I ask curiously. Hagrid pales and scratches his head.

"Uh.." He fruitlessly searches in his pockets before coming up empty. "You aren' registered."

"Why not?" I cross my arms, narrow my eyes and tap my toe on the ground.

"When you were a itty babe, yer mum an' dad signed yer brother up but didn't have the time to sign ye up. They thought they had years to sign ye up but you were unexpected. Yer brother was signed up before he were even born. They didn' know they was havin' a girl too." I freeze.

"What happened to our parents Hagrid?" I ask icily, my forest green and silver eyes narrowed harshly and unrelenting upon the giant. Unfortunately, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, chooses that moment to move into the firelight.

"He's not going." He says. Hagrid grunts unconcerned.

"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him." Hagrid reply's.

"A what?" Harry and I ask together, interested.

"A Muggle." Hagrid explains, "It's what we call non-magic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on." I snort.

"Quite literally." I say vindictively.

"We swore when we took them in we'd put a stop to that rubbish." Uncle Vernon snaps. "Swore we'd stamp it out of them! Witch and wizard indeed!"

"You knew?" Harry asks, hurt. I move closer to him and tuck myself into his side. Harry needs reassurance that he isn't alone. "You knew I'm a - a wizard? And that Twin is a witch?" Tears are glistening in Harry's emerald green eyes and pain resonates through the bond. I step in front of him to shield him as Aunt Petunia begins her little rant.

"Knew!" Aunt Petunia shrieks. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that-that school-and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!" She stops to draw a deep breath and then goes ranting on. It seems like she had been wanting to say all this for years.

"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as - as - abnormal - and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!" I waver and Harry is instantly there supporting me. We are both very pale as everything we had ever know was torn up and spit on right before our eyes.

As soon as we find our voices we say together, "Blown up? You told us they died in a car crash!"

"CAR CRASH!" roars Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttle back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry an' Valyn Potter not knowin' their own story when every kid in our world knows their name!"

"But why? What happened?" Harry asks urgently. The anger fades from Hagrid's face. He looks suddenly anxious.

"I never expected this." He says, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, Valyn, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh - but someones gotta - yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'." He throws a dirty look at the Dursleys. "Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh - mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it..." He sits down, stares into the fire for a few seconds, and then says, "It begins, I suppose, with - with a person called - but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows-"

"Who?" We ask together.

"Well - I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."

"Why not?" Harry asks.

"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... Bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was... " Hagrid gulps and trails off, but no words came out.

"Could you write it down?" Harry suggests.

"Nah. Can't spell it." Hagrid shakes his head. I sit forward and look at Hagrid through my lashes.

"Please tell us Hagrid. We need to know. Please!" I make my voice broken and hurt. When I see resignation, I feel a flash of triumph before I swiftly hide it behind a hopeful mask.

"All right - Voldemort." Hagrid shudders. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this- this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too - some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry, Valyn. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... Terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him - an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway."

I am instantly wary of the hero worship Hagrid has for the Headmaster.

"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' Girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... Probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side." Now I am wary of the connection my parents had for the Headmaster.

"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... Maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' - an' - - " Hagrid suddenly pulls out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blows his nose with a sound like a foghorn. "Sorry." He says. "But it's that sad - knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find -anyway... " My stomach sinks. He said he 'knew' our parents. 'Knew' as in the past as in no longer. Our parents really are dead.

"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then - an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing - he tried to kill you, too." He points at my twin and I protectively grab his hand, silently daring anyone to try it again. "Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead?" He points at Harry's head. We did wonder but without this information, we couldn't wonder very much before we ran into a metaphorical wall.

"That was no ordinary cut." Well no duh. "That's what yeh get when a Powerful, evil curse touches yeh - took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even - but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age - the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts - an' you was only a baby, an' you lived." Harry winces and I clutch his hand harder. Through the bond I can feel his turmoil.

As Hagrid's story comes to a close, Harry flinches and whispers aloud,"The blinding flash of green light, and now more clearly than I have ever remembered it before, I can remember something else. For the first time in our life, I can remember a high, cold, cruel laugh." I flinch and curl further into Harry's side. Right now we both need the comfort.

Hagrid is watching us with sadness and pity in his eyes. I bristle and shove my feelings away. We don't need _pity_ or _sympathy_. What we need is empathy but as it is unlikely we will be getting it from Hagrid, I compose myself and lean in front of Harry.

"Take a deep breath Twin. Count to ten, just like I taught you." He follows my instructions and gains control over himself. I nod at Hagrid to continue.

"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..." Hagrid begins.

"Load of old tosh!" Uncle Vernon exclaims. Harry jumps and I flinch; we had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were still here. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He's glaring at Hagrid and his fists are clenched. "Now, you listen here; boy, girl." He snarls at us. "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating won't have cured - and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion - asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types - just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end-" I get up and focus an ice cold glare on Uncle Vernon, but before I can _wish_ for Uncle Vernon to regret ever living, Hagrid leaps up from the sofa and draws a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat.

Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he says, "I'm warning you, Dursley -I'm warning you - one more word..." In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage (what little he had) fails him again and he flattens himself against the wall and falls silent. "That's better." Hagrid says, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sags right down to the floor.

I slowly sit, my eyes still on Uncle. He glares back and I smile, slowly and viciously and he flinches. The few times he has ever tried to harm Harry, I have always gotten back at him. Once, he lost a promotion. Another time he 'tripped' down the stairs and the other time, he almost drove himself off a bridge. He quickly figured out it was me and tried beating me to make me stop but as long as he went after my Twin, I never did. I won't stand for Twin to get hurt when I can do something about it. Now I will have my revenge on him for doing this. Something that will get to the whole family. Bugs. Uncle Vernon is petrified of worms and Aunt Petunia hates any and all bugs. Dudley has a phobia of crickets. Harry and I are used to bugs. That will be their punishment. A house flooded with bugs and the bugs will follow them even if they try to go to a hotel, the bugs will follow.

Harry, meanwhile, still has questions to ask, hundreds of them.

"But what happened to Vol -, sorry - I mean, You-Know-Who?"

"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see... He was gettin' more an' more powerful - why'd he go? Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back. Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on - I dunno what it was, no one does - but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."

Hagrid looks at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes but I can feel Harry. Instead of feeling pleased and proud, he was feeling queasy and I understand why. Why would Twin feel proud if all that resulted from that night for us, was loosing our parents?

I can feel Harry's doubt and I pinch him. He shouldn't focus on things that will take his mood down.

"Hagrid," Twin asks quietly. "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard." I smirk and shake my head. There is no other explanation. But I can still feel his surprise when Hagrid chuckles.

"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?" Harry looks into the fire. He is stumped. We have done plenty of impossible things and he knows it. Harry looks at Hagrid who is positively beaming at him.

"See?" Hagrid says. "Harry Potter, not a wizard - you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts." But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.

"Haven't I told you he's not going?" He hisses. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish - spell books and wands and-" Hagrid cuts him off.

"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like _you_ won't stop him." Hagrid growls angrily. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had...Albus Dumbled-"

"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Uncle Vernon yells. But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seizes his umbrella and whirls it over his head.

"NEVER," he thunders, "- INSULT. ALBUS. DUMBLEDORE. IN. FRONT. OF. ME!" He brings the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley and there is a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley is dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turns his back on us, Harry and I see a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers. Harry and I exchange glances and break down in laughter. Note to self: Never insult the Headmaster within Hagrid's hearing.

Uncle Vernon roars with anger. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slams the door behind them.

"Good riddance." I call with a self satisfied look on my face. Hagrid looks down at his umbrella and strokes his beard.

"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he says ruefully, "But it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do." Harry and I giggle. Hagrid casts a sideways look at Harry and I under his bushy eyebrows. "Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts." He says. "I'm - er - not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff - one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."

"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" Harry asks.

"Oh, well - I was at Hogwarts meself but I - er - got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."

"Why were you expelled?" Harry and I ask curiously.

"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow." Hagrid says loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that." He takes off his thick black coat and throws it to us. Harry catches it and then I have to catch him as he buckles under the weight. "You can kip under that." Hagrid says, once again astounding Harry and I with his basic kindness. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."


	6. Chapter 6: A (Somewhat) Happy Birthday

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: All outfits are on my profile. A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I do not own the song in this chapter. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

A/N: _Italics is Valyn using her eyes and body language to convey her message to her twin, and Italics with underline is Harry_ responding. The twins cannot read each others minds, they are just in tune with each other and knowing each others feelings helps them figure out what the other twin is trying to 'say.' I repeat, **THEY CAN'T READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS!  
**

Reviews are always appreciated!

Hang on guys, we will be going AU soon enough! And I would just like to send a thank you to my newest follower: tfdpc!

**Chapter 6: (Harry goes to) Diagon Alley (and I don't)**

* * *

I was sitting in on the windowsill, eyes closed and face to the rising sun, when I could feel Harry waking through the bond. He was waking early this morning. Even though he knew, _I_ knew he was awake, Harry kept his eyes shut tight. Through the bond, I can feel hope, doubt and then resignation. I giggle and get up and walk over to him.

"Twin." He keeps his eyes shut and I can feel the hope rising and the doubt fading away. There is suddenly a loud tapping noise. All his hope is abruptly gone but he still doesn't open his eyes.

"It had been such a good dream." Harry mutters aloud. Tap. Tap. Tap. I grin. Just wait until he opens his eyes and sees the tapping isn't Aunt Petunia. "All right, I'm getting up." He sighs, tosses the coat to the side and sits up. The hut is full of sunlight, the storm is over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak. The lightest feeling in the world spreads through the bond and Harry scrambles to his feet and turns to me.

"It was real Twin." I grin at him. He grins back and lunges at me for a hug. I don't flinch, I have never had to be afraid of my twin. Our happiness was flowing to each other, being amplified and sent back to repeat the cycle. We are so giddy, the only thing holding us up is each other. We are completely relaxed. I look out the window. The poor owl is still there.

"Twin, perhaps we should let the owl in so he can rest?" Still grinning, Harry goes straight to the window and jerks it open. All we need is singing birds and this would be something out of a movie. The owl swoops in and drops the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who hasn't woken up. The owl then flutters onto the floor and begins to attack Hagrid's coat. Harry rushes over to it while I watch him, amused.

"Don't do that!" Harry tries to wave the owl out of the way, but it just snaps its beak fiercely at him and carries on savaging the coat. "Hagrid!" Harry calls loudly. "There's an owl attacking your coat!" Harry keeps swatting at the owl, so I grab his arm before he gets hurt.

"Pay him." Hagrid grunts into the sofa. Confused, Harry looks at me, but I just shrug.

"What?"

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets." Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets - bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags... Finally, Harry pulls out a handful of strange-looking coins while I warily watch Hagrid.

"Give him five Knuts." Hagrid says sleepily.

"Knuts?" Harry and I ask in perfect unison.

"The little bronze ones." Harry counts out five little bronze coins, and the owl holds out his leg so Harry could put the money in to a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window. Hagrid yawns loudly, sits up, and stretches. "Best be Off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school." Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though our pet cat died. Not that we ever had the opportunity to have a pet.

"Um - Hagrid?" Harry asks tentatively.

"Mm?" says Hagrid, who is pulling on his huge boots.

"I haven't got any money - and you heard Uncle Vernon last night... He won't pay for me to go and learn magic."

"Don't worry about that." Hagrid says dismissively, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"

"But if their house was destroyed-" Wow. There are times when I really wish that hitting someone on the head didn't kill brain-cells that my Twin clearly needs, not that the ones he has are doing him any favors.

"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold - an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."

"Wizards have banks?" Harry asks.

"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins." I perk up and Harry drops the bit of sausage he was holding.

"Goblins?" We ask eagerly.

"Yeah - so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry an' Valyn. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe - 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid draws himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you gettin' things from Gringotts - knows he can trust me, see." Fetching us? That sounds like we are unruly pets that need to be collected.

"Got everythin'? Come on, then." Harry and I follow Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleams in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.

Hagrid turns to me awkwardly and scratches his beard nervously.

"Uh, yer no sur'posed to come with us. Dumbledore's orders." I stand in shock while Harry protests. Until something Harry says snaps me out of my daze.

"I won't go if Twin doesn't go!" I sigh. I have to think of Harry. If I can't go, then one of us has to get away from the Dursleys, if only for a few hours. So, I cross my arms, narrow my eyes and put the iciest most threatening look on my face. Hagrid quails under my glare.

"If Harry comes back with even the tiniest scratch on him, I will make you regret the day you were born." Then I turn to Twin.

_Relax bro, I can scope out the place and get them in a good mood. I want you to go, bring me some books about this world and a handful of wizard money. We may be able to sell it in the Muggle world for clothes and stuff. And you had better tell me all about Diagon Alley when you come back. Promise?_ I hold out my pinky and Harry hooks his in mine.

_Promise._

* * *

When we get back to the house, Uncle Vernon grabs me by the back of my neck and shoves me into the house. His huge form is almost vibrating with anger. While the female Dursley and Dudley are bringing their stuff in to the house, Uncle Vernon opens the basement door and tosses me down the stairs. I hiss in pain as my shoulder is dislocated. I quickly scramble to my feet and face Uncle Vernon. I go into the pose he has literally beaten into me.

I stand with my head lowered submissively, lower myself onto my knees and hold my hands in front of me, palms facing the ground. I warily follow Uncle Vernon's feet as he circles me. My whole body tenses when he roughly pulls my head back by the hair and ties a blindfold over my eyes. I desperately try to relax my body so when he does strike it won't hurt so much. I strain my ears to try and find Uncle Vernon.

Blind panic threatens to overwhelm me and I make sure to put our bond on a recycling mild annoyance so Twin doesn't feel this. I cry out in pain as Uncle Vernon's knee connects with my face. I stifle the whimpers and drag myself back onto my knees. Uncle Vernon must be really mad, he usually gloats and taunts before hurting me. Pain. Pain overwhelms me when Uncle Vernon swings a kick at my side and I tip over. I weakly curl into a ball and smother the shriek of pain that wants to rip out my throat.

He kicks my back and my sides over and over until I can barely breath through the pain. I gasp faintly as he picks me up by my hair. I don't have the strength to even wince. Blood streams down my back and I weakly raise a hand to tug at Uncle Vernon. He rewards me with a backhanded blow to the face. I collapse in a heap. He walks over to me and I once again, ever so slowly and weakly drag myself into a ball, hands raised in a futile attempt to protect myself. I flinch but he only rips off the blindfold.

"Get up." I rush to do as he says and bite my lip as pain shrieks through every wound. "Go upstairs, turn the water on in the shower. Make sure it is not too hot. I need to wash all the blood off of me. Not a word to Petunia. While I am freshening up, you will clean this up. Make it clean enough to eat off of. In fact, make it clean enough to shine, this floor is after all, your dinner plate."

"Yes Uncle Vernon." I reply in a dead monotone. After he leaves, I stay where I am and let my head drag to the floor. I bite back my whimpers and compose myself. When I raise my head, I notice my fingers are trembling. It almost undoes my composure. I take deep breaths and gasp through the pain. My gasps turn into whispered sobs that I refuse to let turn into tears. I won't waste any more tears over them. I gingerly get up and slowly walk over to the mirror on the wall. Sometimes Uncle Vernon likes to make me watch as his 'handy work' unfolds.

I slowly take off my shirt and turn to look at the damage. My back is red and raw. Blood streams down in rivulets. It is hard to tell that this was once a healthy back. I can feel my magic working to heal this damage so there is no scars. No damage, no proof. The pain will remain. My magic first works on fixing the surface before moving to under the skin. I feel a ball in my throat. Why do they hate me? All I have ever wanted was someone to love me. All I wanted was for them to care. I push the tears away and focus on my magic.

This time, it is hard for me to _want_ to hide my injuries. The only thing stopping me from going up and showing Petunia what a monster her husband is, is the threat of more pain. Not that it ever ends. I swallow the pain, and _need_ the injuries to be hidden. I watch with clouded eyes as my back is slowly covered so it looks like it has never been touched. Then I slowly hobble up the steps, into the kitchen and back down, thankful I didn't run into the female Dursley or Dudley.

Wincing, I get down on my knees and dunk the sponge into the bucket and start to scrub. I am almost finished and there is only a small part of the floor with blood on it when Uncle Vernon comes down the stairs and dumps the food into the blood before shooting a nasty grin at me and going back up the stairs with an order to get to the cupboard when I am done.

I look at the floor, at the food and I can feel myself slipping. I get up and pace, my hands twisted in my hair. I clench my teeth as a whole new level of hatred is introduced to me. I bitterly laugh. How I ever wanted to be loved by them is beyond me. I go to my food and _need_ it to have no blood in it. I eat the loaf of stale and moldy bread hungrily. I pick off the mold and eat the cheese. **He** knows I need a lot of food to compensate for what my magic is covering up, but that doesn't mean **he** will feed me decently. God forbid they be decent.

I slow down and save half a loaf and half a hunk of cheese under my shirt. I finish the floor and go back upstairs. I meekly let him know I am done and go into the cupboard. It isn't long until he locks the door. I sigh and get out my dagger. I use it to pry open one of the boards and hide the food in there. I lay in bed and focus on the bond. It is the only good thing I have going for me.

I take out one of the blank journals and just look at it. It is black leather bound and it is edged with silver and has a forest green bookmark. Using my magic, I engrave '_Musica: De vita mea. Lyrics: De corde meo_' onto the cover in forest green letters edged with silver. It means: Music: Of my Life. Lyrics: From my Heart in Latin. I nod in satisfaction and set the book down. I gingerly lay on my side and try to breathe from the pain radiating from every inch of me.

Since I am locked in, I drop the glamour and relax a little as my magic isn't so strained. I try to sleep and preserve my energy but it isn't working. I sit up and push the thin pillow against the wall, grab my wooden board, my music book and a fancy fountain pen that Dudley didn't want. I lean back on the pillow, place the wooden board on my lap, the book on the board and open the cover. I just stare at the page for a few minutes. Then I write my name in the upper left corner and the date in the upper right corner. I stare blankly at the page. Then, I write at the top:

_Somebody To Love Me_

I hesitate before touching the pen to the paper once again. I pour my heart out to the paper and it isn't until I have finished writing my first ever song and that I can hear my song play out just like I imagined in my head, I realize I wasn't just pouring my heart out to the paper. I was putting magic into my journal. I touch a finger to the title of the song, and it plays out loud from the beginning.

_Sometimes the night seems so long_  
_When you lie in bed all alone_  
_And tomorrow seems so far away_  
_I don't wanna live another day this way_

_Scared to let someone in_  
_Can't bear to get hurt again_  
_But my body needs to feel a touch_  
_Someone come and wake me up_

_I just want somebody to love me_  
_I just need somebody to hold me_  
_Somebody to love me_

_Don't wanna let life pass me by_  
_Never knowing what it's like_  
_To be as real as real can be_  
_To share my life and know my dreams_

_I just want somebody to love me_  
_And I just need somebody to hold me_  
_Somebody to love me_

_'Cause I'm hurt and I'm scared and I'm lonely_  
_All I want is somebody to want me_  
_'Cause I've got so much to give_

_I just want somebody to love me_  
_I just need somebody to hold me_  
_Somebody to love me_

* * *

I jerk awake, terror blinding me.

"Shhhh!" Twin hisses. I relax as I realize it is just Harry...Then I realize it is Harry. And I leap out of bed, only to hiss in pain. "Are you okay?" Twin asks holding me up as I catch my breath.

"Yeah, I just twisted a muscle." The sad part is, it isn't even a lie.

"When did you get back? How did you get in here? Where are the Dursleys? How was your trip to Diagon Alley? Did you bring me anything?" I ask, all in a rush. Harry laughs.

"I got back about an hour ago, this is the soonest I have been able to steal the key and join you. I stole the key to get in here. The trip to Diagon Alley was blood fantastic! Yes, I did bring you somethings." I grin and pat the bed.

"Tell me all about it."

* * *

_**10 Hours Ago - The moment when Harry and Valyn split up**_

* * *

_After Val left, Harry turned to Hagrid._

* * *

_"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat._

_"Flew," said Hagrid._

_"Flew?"_

_"Yeah - but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've __got yeh."_

_They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to __imagine him flying._

_"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry another of __his sideways looks. "If I was ter - er - speed things up a bit, would __yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?" _

_"Of course not," said Harry, eager to see more magic, Val wouldn't be happy he promised without getting something in return, but Harry put that out of his mind when Hagrid pulled out __the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and __they sped off toward land._

_"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked. _

_"Spells - enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he __spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the highsecurity vaults. And __then yeh gotta find yer way - Gringotts is hundreds of miles under __London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter __get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."_

_Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the __Daily Prophet. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to __be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never __had so many questions in his life._

_"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning __the page._

_"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop __himself._

_"'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, '__course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the __job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls __every morning, askin' fer advice."_

_"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?" _

_"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still __witches an' wizards up an' down the country."_

_"Why?"_

_"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their __problems. Nah, we're best left alone."_

_At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid __folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the __street. __Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town __to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as __tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like __parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles __dream up, eh?"_

_"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say __there are dragons at Gringotts?"_

_"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."_

_"You'd like one?"_

_"Wanted one ever since I was a kid - here we go."_

_They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five __minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he __called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets. __People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and __sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent._

_"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches. Harry __took the parchment envelope out of his pocket. _

_"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."_

_Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night __before, and read:_

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_UNIFORM_

_First-year students will require:_

_1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)_  
_2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_  
_3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_  
_4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_  
_Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags_

_COURSE BOOKS_

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_  
_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_  
_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_  
_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_  
_A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch_  
_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_  
_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_  
_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_  
_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

_OTHER EQUIPMENT_

_wand cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set_  
_glass or crystal phials_  
_telescope set_  
_brass scales_  
_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED __THEIR OWN __BROOMSTICKS_

_"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud._

_"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid._

_Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know __where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an __ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and __complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow._

_"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they __climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined __with shops. __Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do __was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, __hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it __could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of __ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles __beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and __broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had __cooked up? If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of __humor, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything __Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help __trusting him. Val would call him a moron if she knew that._

_"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a __famous place." __It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, __Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't __glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the __record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at __all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and __Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered __him inside. _

_For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were __sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was __smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old __bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The __low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know __Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a __glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"_

_"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great __hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle._

_"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this - can this __be -?" __The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent._

_"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter... what an __honor." __He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his __hand, tears in his eyes._

_"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."_

_Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old __woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. __Hagrid was beaming. __Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry __found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron._

_"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last." _

_"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."_

_"Always wanted to shake your hand - I'm all of a flutter." _

_"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus_  
_Diggle."_

_"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off __in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."_

_"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did __you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again - __Doris Crockford kept coming back for more. __A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes __was twitching._

_"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be __one of your teachers at Hogwarts."_

_"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, __"c-can't t-tell you how p- pleased I am to meet you."_

_"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"_

_"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as __though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, __P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your_  
_equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, __m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought. __But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It __took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid __managed to make himself heard over the babble._

_"Must get on - lots ter buy. Come on, Harry." __Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them __through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was __nothing but a trash can and a few weeds. __Hagrid grinned at Harry._

_"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell __was tremblin' ter meet yeh - mind you, he's usually tremblin'."_

_"Is he always that nervous?"_

_"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was __studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand __experience... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there_  
_was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag - never been the same since. __Scared of the students, scared of his own subject now, where's me __umbrella?"_

_Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was __counting bricks in the wall above the trash can._

_"Three up... two across he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."_

_He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. __The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a __small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they_  
_were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a __cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight._

_"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."_

_He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry __looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly __back into solid wall. __The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. _

_Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring __- Collapsible_

_Said a sign hanging over them._

_"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money __first."_

_Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every __direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at __once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their __shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as __they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're __mad..."_

_A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl E__mporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of __about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with __broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus __Two Thousand - fastest ever -" There were shops selling robes, shops __selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen __before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, __tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion __bottles, globes of the moon..._

_"Gringotts," said Hagrid. __They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other __little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a __uniform of scarlet and gold, was - _

_"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white __stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. __He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very __long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were __facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved __upon them:_

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_  
_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_  
_For those who take, but do not earn,_  
_Must pay most dearly in their turn._  
_So if you seek beneath our floors_  
_A treasure that was never yours,_  
_Thief, you have been warned, beware_  
_Of finding more than treasure there._

_"Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid. __A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a __vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high_  
_stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing __coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. __There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more __goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made __for the counter._

_"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money __outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."_

_"You have his key, Sir?"_

_"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his __pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits __over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry __watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as __glowing coals._

_"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key. __The goblin looked at it closely._

_"That seems to be in order." _

_"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid __importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the YouKnow-What in __vault seven hundred and thirteen."_

_The goblin read the letter carefully._

_"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone __take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"_

_Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog __biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward __one of the doors leading off the hall._

_"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry __asked._

_"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts __business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh __that." _

_Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more __marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with __flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little __railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came __hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in - Hagrid with some __difficulty - and were off. __At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry __tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, __but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, __because Griphook wasn't steering._  
_Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them __wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a __passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late - - __they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge __stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor._

_"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, __"what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"_

_"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions __just now, I think I'm gonna be sick." __He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small __door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the __wall to stop his knees from trembling. __Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and __as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns __of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts. The intrest from the vault had been piling up for years and there was so much because Harry and Valyn hadn't spent any of it. Harry wondered if Valyn had her own vault and asked the goblin. Hagrid cut in and informed him she did have her own vault and Dumbledore had given him her key. Determined, Harry asked for the key, after some hesitation, Hagrid was forced to hand it over along with his key or face trouble from the goblins for attempted stealing from someones vault. Attempting to distract Harry, Hagrid waves to the piles of money._

_"All yours," smiled Hagrid. __All Harry's - it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about __this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking. How often had __they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there __had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London. __Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag._

_"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to __a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, __that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe __for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, __please, and can we go more slowly?"_

_"One speed only," said Griphook. __They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became __colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went __rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to __try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and __pulled him back by the scruff of his neck. __Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole._

_"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with __one of his long fingers and it simply melted away. __"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through __the door and trapped in there," said Griphook._

_"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked._

_"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin. __Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, __Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous __jewels at the very least - but at first he thought it was empty. Then __he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on __the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry __longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask. _

_"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way __back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid. __One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside __Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag __full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a __pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole_  
_life - more money than even Dudley had ever had._

_"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam __Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I __slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them __Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam __Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous. __Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve._

_"Hogwarts, clear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot __here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact. " __In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on __a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam __Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him) slipped a long robe over his __head, and began to pin it to the right length._

_"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?" _

_"Yes," said Harry._

_"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street __looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then __I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why __first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting __me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow." __Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley._

_"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on. _

_"No," said Harry. _

_"Play Quidditch at all?"_

_"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be._

_"I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my __house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"_

_"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute._

_"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know __I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in __Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" "Mmm," said Harry, wishing __he could say something a bit more interesting._

_"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the __front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing __at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in._

_"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. __"He works at Hogwarts."_

_"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't __he?" _

_"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less __every second._

_"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage - lives in a hut on the __school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, __and ends up setting fire to his bed."_

_"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly._

_"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where __are your parents?"_

_"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into __the matter with this boy._

_"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were __our kind, weren't they?"_

_"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."_

_"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're __just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some __of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, __imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. __What's your surname, anyway?" __But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, _

_"That's you done, my __dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, __hopped down from the footstool._

_"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy._

_Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him __(chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts)._

_"What's up?" said Hagrid._

_"Nothing," Harry lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry __cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you __wrote, so he got two. The second one would change between the colors green, silver, black and purple. They were Val's favorite colors. When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"_

_"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know - not knowin' __about Quidditch!"_

_"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale __boy in Madam Malkin's. __"-and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed __in."_

_"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were - he's grown __up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what __everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what __does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones __with magic in 'em in a long line 0' Muggles - look at yer mum! Look __what she had fer a sister!"_

_"So what is Quidditch?"_

_"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like - like soccer in the Muggle __world - everyone follows Quidditch - played up in the air on __broomsticks and there's four balls - sorta hard ter explain the rules."_

_"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"_

_"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' __duffers, but -"_

_"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff" said Harry gloomily._

_"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a __single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. __You-Know-Who was one." Harry felt a twinge of fear before shoving it away. Val would be mad if she knew he was even thinking of turning against a whole house before he even learned more about it from a less biased person or book._

_"Vol-, sorry - You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"_

_"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid. __They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts __where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as __paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in __covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with __nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have __been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag __Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and __Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, __Tongue- Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian._

_"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."_

_"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the __Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' __anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more __study before yeh get ter that level." Harry rolled his eyes. Val could do all of those without a wand. He bought a few books for Val and a bottomless black leather bag to put her stuff in. It was going to be her birthday at midnight and this was the first time he would be able to actually buy her somethings that she really wanted. Hagrid didn't get it until Harry explained it to him. Even so, he wouldn't let H__arry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says __pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing __potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited __the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible __smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff __stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined __the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung __from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a __supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself __examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, __glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop). __Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again._

_"Just yer wand left - A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday __present." __Harry felt himself go red._

_"You don't have to -"_

_"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, __toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at - an' I don'__like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want_  
_owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'." Harry nods._

_"Can I pick out a bird for twin?" Hagrid looks a bit hesitant but when Harry used his perfected puppy eyes (courtesy of Val) he gave in pretty quickly. __Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been __dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now __carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with __her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks,__sounding just like Professor Quirrell._

_"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta __presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now - only place fer __wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand." __A magic wand... this was what Harry had been really looking forward to. He looked down at the second silver cage and grinned. He had chosen a Peregrine falcon for her with feathers so black they had a green sheen to them. Val was going to love it._

_The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door __read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay __on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. __A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped __inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair __that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had __entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that __had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow __boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of_  
_his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle __with some secret magic._

_"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have __jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly __off the spindly chair. __An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like __moons through the gloom of the shop._

_"Hello," said Harry awkwardly._

_"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. __Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It __seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten __and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm __work." __Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those __silvery eyes were a bit creepy. __"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. __Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I __say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the __wizard, of course." __Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to __nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes. __"And that's where..." M__r. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a __long, white finger. __"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. __"Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in __the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into __the world to do..." __He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid._

_"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again... Oak, sixteen __inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"_

_"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid._

_"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got __expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern._

_"Er - yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still __got the pieces, though," he added brightly._

_"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply._

_"Oh, no, sit," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink __umbrella very tightly as he spoke._

_"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now __- Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver __markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"_

_"Er - well, I'm right-handed," said Harry._

_"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to __finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round __his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of __a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix __tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands __are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite __the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with __another wizard's wand."_

_Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring __between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was __flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes._

_"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on __the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon __heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a __wave." _

_Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. __Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once._

_"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try -" __Harry tried - but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was __snatched back by Mr. Ollivander._

_"No, no -here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. __Go on, go on, try it out." __Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting __for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the __spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the __shelves, the happier he seemed to become._

_"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here __somewhere - I wonder, now - - yes, why not - unusual combination - __holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." __Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised __the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air __and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, __throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whoops in excitement._

_Harry looks curiously at Olivander, who is wrapping his wand and muttering. Listening closer, Harry can barely make out the words._

_"Curious, very curious." Harry can't help his curiosity._

_"__Sorry, but what's curious?" Olivander looks at him with his moon-shine eyes._

_"__I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. __Every single wand. __It just so happens that the phoenix, whose tail feather resides in your wand gave one other feather, just one. __It is very curious indeed that __you should be destined for this wand when its brother __why, its brother gave you that scar.__" He points at Harry's head. Harry gulps. _

_"And...who owned that wand?" Eyes never wavering, Olivander answers him._

_"__Oh, we do not speak his name. __Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember...__It's not always clear why, but I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you__, Mr. Potter... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things-terrible, yes, but great." __Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop. __And with that, he hands Harry the wand and disappears into the gloomy shop. _

_The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder. "Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves."_

_He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow. "You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet, " said Hagrid. _

_Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of __his life - and yet - he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the __words._

_"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the __Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander... but I don't know __anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm __famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what __happened when Vol-, sorry - I mean, the night my parents died." __Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he __wore a very kind smile. _

_"Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the __beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. just be yerself. I know it's __hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a __great time at Hogwarts - I did - still do, 'smatter of fact."_

_Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the __Dursleys, then handed him an envelope._

_"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September - King's Cross __- it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a __letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me... See yeh soon, __Harry." __The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until __he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against __the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone._

* * *

**_Present time - The cupboard_**

* * *

"Wow." I breathe. "It sounds amazing."

"It was!" Harry is bouncing with excitement. "Wait here, I'll go and get your presents."

"Wait!" Harry pauses and turns back to me. "I want you to open the package I gave you before it is my birthday. Okay?" Harry nods and shuts the cupboard door. He pulls the package from his shirt and opens it. It is a box, not too big, but definitely not small. Harry uses my dagger to open the box.

"Wow!" Harry reaches in pulls everything out one by one. There is 4 necklaces. The first has a black cord and on it is a round silver pendant with a black H elaborately embossed on it. The second is on a silver chain and has a lions head on it, the third has a silver chain and a whole lion on it and the last also has a silver chain with a square pendant and a raised lion on it. Harry has always admired lions ever since we watch an episode about them on animal planet. He has a golden ring with a lion, a black pocket watch with a pirates skull and crossbones on it, a mars bar and a Hershey's bar. Harry reverently picks up a drawing pad and a red and gold fountain pen. We love to draw. On a good day, we would go to the park and sit back to back, each of us drawing on what ever we could find.

Harry looks at me and smiles brightly before pulling me into a hug. Thank goodness my wounds are healed. He sits back and looks at all the stuff. This is the most I have ever been able to get him. The only reason is I am finally old enough to offer to do jobs for the neighbors without them giving us odd looks. I am glad I can do this for Twin. Harry pops open his new watch.

"It is only 8:12 do you want to draw while we wait?" I nod and get out the drawing set I got from Dudley's second room.

Harry and draw for a couple of hours before we get bored, so Harry creeps upstairs to get a card set. We blow the last few hours sipping on a soda Harry snuck from the kitchen, eating a jelly beans Harry got in Diagon Alley (it was a nasty surprise when Harry ate one that tasted like worm (trust me when I say you **do not** want to know)) and giggling at each others faces when we got a weird tasting one. We found out that they were actually call Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. When 11: 50 finally rolled around, we both jumped as the alarm beeped. We looked at each other before laughing at each others reactions.

Harry got up and went upstairs to get my present. When he opens the cupboard door and comes back in, I gasp at the beautiful Peregrine falcon in the silver cage Harry is holding. Harry grins and holds up a beautiful Snowy old on his arm. This is my owl. I haven't named her yet so I will definitely need help with that." I grin, but my eyes are drawn back to the falcon. Harry mock sighs before grinning and handing the cage to me.

"This falcon is for you." I squeal and hug Harry before turning back to the cage.

"Oh you are beautiful." I whisper. The falcon cocks it's head to the side. Intelligent black eyes following me. I lean forward. "If I open this cage and let you out, please don't attack us." The falcon ruffles its feathers as though it is offended. I giggle and unlatch the door. The falcon ruffles it's wings before taking a step forward. I lean back. "Come on." I whisper encouragingly. The falcon slowly steps out of the cage, warily eyeing me.

It slowly steps forward and I hold myself still. It still watches me, so I slowly raise an arm for it to rest on. It watches my arm for a second before fluttering onto my arm. I stare into its eyes and just wait. My falcon ruffles his feathers before opening his beak and crooning at me. I raise a hand and stroke his head. I smile when he leans his head into my palm.

"I think I will name you Adalric. It means noble friend in German." My falcon coos his approval and I grin.

"Do you want to open your other presents?" Harry asks with a grin at my shocked face.

"Re! You didn't have to get me anything else. Adalric is enough." Harry shakes his head.

"Not a chance! I finally have money, I plan on spoiling you rotten." I laugh.

"I won't argue as long as you don't argue when I spoil you rotten with presents." Harry holds out a hand.

"It is a deal!" Then Harry pulls a beautiful black leather bag from behind his back. I take it from him by the brown leather straps.

"It's beautiful Twin!" Harry blushes.

"Open it, there is more inside." I open the bag and blindly reach into the bag. The first thing I pull out is a beautiful silver double ourobos necklace. The two silver snakes have green eyes and twisted around each other on a silver chain.

"I got it because it represents us. Our lives are always intertwined because we halves of a whole. And it has green eyes like us."

"I love it!" I immediately put it on. It rests right in the hollow of my throat. The next thing I pull out is a bracelet. The band is black woven leather and tied onto it is a small silver dagger pendant. I put it onto my left wrist. I pull out a watch. It has a black metal band and a green face. I put it on my right wrist. Then I pull out another necklace. It is a silver dagger on a silver chain. I put it on. It rests right over my heart. There are two more necklaces. The first is a silver New Pence piece on a black cord. It has a lion engraved on it. I set it on the bed. The other necklace is a tiny silver skull hanging on a silver chain. I set it with my other necklace.

I pull out a silver ourobos bracelet. It is a snake eating its own tail. I put that on my right wrist. Then I pull out a stack of books.

"They are the books on the reading list and a few extras." I set the bag down and hug Harry.

"This is the best birthday ever!" Harry laughs.

"I have a perch for Adalric, but it is upstairs." I nod.

"Probably for the best. Adalric may have to stay up there, I don't want him getting sick for the lack of light." Adalric screeches in protest. "Okay, okay! You can stay down here with me, but you can't say I didn't warn you." Satisfied, Adalric settles down sleepily.

"I gotta go, the Dursleys might catch us if I stay down here any longer." I nod and give him another hug.

"Love you bro."

"Love you too, sis." Then Harry creeps upstairs. I put my presents in the bag Harry gave me and curl up on my bed, my faithful Adalric watching over me.


	7. Chapter 7: Separated-Meeting

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: All outfits are on my profile. A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I do not own the song in this chapter. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

A/N: _Italics is Valyn using her eyes and body language to convey her message to her twin, and Italics with underline is Harry_ responding. The twins cannot read each others minds, they are just in tune with each other and knowing each others feelings helps them figure out what the other twin is trying to 'say.' I repeat, **THEY CAN'T READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS!  
**

Reviews are always appreciated!

Thanks for hanging on guys, we will be going AU during this chapter! Just a fair bit of warning, I will not be writing from Harry's point of view as he goes to Hogwarts. Instead, I will have him tell her about his adventures through letters. Dumbledore is not evil, just kinda manipulative. If you fought in a war long enough where you were the leader, eventually you would start to look at people as chess pieces. Dumbledore still looks at people like they are people, but he does also think of them a little bit like chess pieces.

And I would just like to send a thank you to my newest followers: agdudley and empressris! You guys make me happy when you fave and follow my story!

**Chapter 7:**

* * *

Harry's last month with the Dursleys hasn't been fun. True, Dudley is now so scared of Harry he won't stay in the same room, but while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his room, force him to do anything, or shout at him - they didn't speak to him at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing for him after a while. Harry kept to his room, (except for small visits with me at night) with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in **A History of Magic**.

The school books were very interesting. We would lay on our beds late into the night, and I could tell every time Hedwig swooped in and out of the open window as she pleased because Harry would have a spike of interest followed by disgust at the rat Hedwig brought him. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum his room anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first. Every night before I went to bed, I would do the same. The only difference was I did it with a growing sense of dread that was carefully hidden from my twin.

On the last day of August Harry thought he'd better speak to our aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television while I watched from the bottom of the stairs. Casting a nervous look at me he clears his throat to let them know he is there, and Dudley screams and runs from the room. I snort, now he knows how we feel every time we see him or any of the adult Dursleys.

"Er - Uncle Vernon?" Uncle Vernon grunts to show he was listening. Eyes glued to the telly. "Er - I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to - to go to Hogwarts." Uncle Vernon grunts again. "Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?" Grunt. Harry cast me a look and I shrug. I don't understand pig. Harry turns back to Uncle Vernon. He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually speaks.

"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?" Harry doesn't say anything but I feel the hurt. "Where is this school, anyway?"

"I don't know." Harry says, realization dawning through the bond. Twin pulls the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket. "I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock." He reads. I snicker softly into my hand while our aunt and uncle stare.

"Platform what?" Uncle Vernon repeats incredulously.

"Nine and three-quarters." Harry repeats, a bit of his disbelief leaking through the bond and into his voice.

"Don't talk rubbish." Uncle Vernon snaps. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters." A stubborn expression settles on Harry's face.

"It's on my ticket. "

"Barking." Uncle Vernon exclaims, "Howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother." Uncle Vernon turns back to the telly but Harry's curiosity isn't sated.

"Why are you going to London?" Harry asks, trying (and failing) to keep things friendly.

"Taking Dudley to the hospital." Uncle Vernon growls angrily. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings." Smirking, I stand. While they are there, they could get Dudley a brain transplant, and have his fat removed, and give him plastic surgery, and basically change everything about him, including giving him a personality transplant.

* * *

Harry wakes at five o'clock the next morning because he is too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. I couldn't fall asleep.

Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk has been loaded into the Dursleys' car. Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry and I, and we set off. We reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumps Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheels it into the station for him. We exchange glances at his oddly nice behavior. It all makes sense when Uncle Vernon stops dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.

"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?" He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all. "Have a good term." Uncle Vernon says with an even nastier smile. I quickly hug Harry before Uncle Vernon roughly grabs my arm and drags me out without another word. As Uncle Vernon shoves me in the car, I can see Harry turning around and seeing us drive away.

All three of the Dursleys are laughing. A feeling of helplessness spreads through the bond and I shove all the love and encouragement through the bond to Harry while I still can. Neither of us have any idea how far we can be separated before the bond snaps, or if it even will. I am afraid the bond will stretch so much that I won't be able to feel Harry.

* * *

**_September 1st - 1991 - 12:15 - Headmasters office_**

* * *

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sits at his desk, awaiting the Potters, Black, Lupin, Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Pomana, along with Hagrid. When Hagrid came back from taking young Harry to Diagon Alley, all of the aforementioned people wanted to know everything about them. When Albus said no, everyone started shouting. It wasn't until Fawkes intervened with a song, that they calmed down. Albus didn't deny them to be cruel, he just want to wait. No one could know where the oldest Potter children were hidden just yet.

But now, now is the perfect time. Harry would be coming to the school and Valyn Potter would be coming next year. She hadn't been registered before the letters were sent out, and the magic of the quill wouldn't allow them to add another name after all the names on the List have been written out. No one had even thought of the fact that Valyn had never been enrolled in Hogwarts. Now they have to do the enrolling the hard way. Through the Ministry.

Paperwork has to be done, then the paperwork will be passed and approved through half a dozen departments and finally landing at the Ministers desk. Then, they have to work the wards around the List to get it to accept Valyn as a new student, and that takes a few more weeks, so eventually, Dumbledore told the Potters Valyn would not be coming until the next year. She would be far behind the classmates her age if she came through the middle of the year. So she would be coming next year. All the children would be a year younger than her, but it would be for the best.

Her brother would be able to get used to Dumbledore as the Headmaster and someone to trust. Dumbledore, having already peaked at Hagrid's memories, knows that Valyn is the one with the most potential to go bad. To go Dark. She would be wary, and she would influence her brother. This way, Dumbledore can establish a relationship with Harry before adding Valyn to the mix. Meanwhile, he would still push to get her enrolled. It would get Harry to trust him even more.

* * *

Albus surveys the group sitting in his office with a benevolent smile. James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin shift nervously in their seats. He suppresses a smile. There is no doubt in his mind those three are remembering the days when they sat in those very chairs and received many detentions. His eyes move to Lily Potter. She has three children around her. The 7 year old twins are on her left. While Harry and Valyn Potter have their father's hair and mother's eyes, this set of twins has their mother's dark red hair and their father's hazel eyes. On Lily's right, she has her 2 year old daughter. Unlike her mother and father, she has blond hair and hazel green eyes. It was a bit of a shock but when Lily showed everyone a picture of her grandmother, it faded away. Like Petunia, the 2 year old had gotten her grandmothers blond hair.

"Not to be rude, Headmaster, but will you get on with things? I do several potions that need to be tended to." Severus Snape drawls in his his silky voice.

"Yes, yes. I have called you all up here to review Hagrid's memories. I am sure you are all anxious to get to it, so I will not tarry. Hagrid, if you will?" Dumbledore gestures to the Pensieve. Hagrid nods and Dumbledore uses his wand to pull the silver memory strands from Hagrid's temple and deposits them into the silver bowl. Them memory swirls as though it is alive. Everyone stands up and grabs hands. Then, they step into the memory.

* * *

The memory is blank at first before it slowly swirls into the image of a door. The unlikely group watches in silence as Hagrid bursts down the door, steps inside and puts it back before turning around. Lily steps forward, arms reaching out to her first babies. James steps forward and wraps an arm around his wife, his eyes hungrily looking at his children too. Sirius whines as he looks at his godson and Remus lets out a sort of whining growl when he sees his cub for the first time in 10 years. Severus would later deny it, but he drew forward, eyes on his beloved goddaughter. He uttered her name, affection in every syllable.

Albus, McGonagall and Hagrid all watched this heartbreaking scene with tears in their eyes.

The scene moves forward as Memory-Hagrid finishes looking around. Everyone sees Harry step in front of his sister, determination and defiance in his emerald green eyes. Lily laughs a bit as Valyn (looking put out) stands on her toes and puts her chin on her brothers shoulder. As Memory-Hagrid scolds the Dursleys, all eyes are locked on the twins. Harry's eyes are wide with shock. Valyn looks at Memory-Hagrid with warmth in her eyes, but that warmth is quickly replace with a neutral one.

Severus frowns along with Remus, Lily and James. Sirius only has eyes for his godson. They exchange glances. Valyn shouldn't look that cold. The twins shouldn't look so small and skinny and wary. Something is wrong. With a mutual agreement to keep an eye out for more things like that, the four turn back to the memory.

_"Budge up, yeh great lump," Hagrid tells Dudley. Dudley squeaks and runs to hide behind his mother. Valyn stumbles and Harry turns to catch her._

_"What's wrong?" He asks worriedly. And Valyn smirks._

_"Earthquake." She says innocently. Harry's face is blank before he gets it. He snickers before they turn, in perfect unison back to the mysterious stranger. _

James, Sirius and Remus burst out laughing. Valyn joking about how her cousin made an earthquake lightens the mood some. Severus smirks in pride. His goddaughter is quick, witty and smart. She would be perfect as one of his snakes.

"Hey!" Sirius says with wide eyes as the memory pauses. "Valyn's smirk is exactly like Snape's!" James looks at him and blanches.

"That is _my_ daughter. She can't have the characteristics of Snivellus!" Severus frowns before smirking again.

"Never the less, _my_ goddaughter still manages to share my smirk." Severus drawls triumphantly before turning back to the memory. Severus and James have been having possessive issues toward Valyn for the longest time. They both love her, but James can't bare the thought of having to share _his_ daughter with his schoolyard enemy. Severus has no plans of giving up his goddaughter. He does have his godson Draco, but he still loves Valyn as well.

The memory starts again.

As memory-Hagrid tells the twins how alike they look to their parents, the group can see Harry's eyes light up. Valyn's eyes are eager, hungry and she draws closer to Memory-Hagrid. When Harry grabs her arm, she gives him a thankful look and pulls back and away from Memory-Hagrid. She takes her place by her twin's side, face cold and it doesn't escape their notice that she is turned protectively towards her brother.

Memory-Vernon tries to intervene but Hagrid twists the gun into a knot before turning back to the twins. Harry looks a little frightened but Valyn draws all eyes as a calculated respect dawns in her eyes. When Memory-Hagrid hands them a cake, the twins look shocked. They share glances and open the little box. They stare at it and lean on each other. There is a fragile quality about them that make everyone want to shelter them.

Memory-Harry stiffens and following his cue, so does his twin. Severus sneers at the mini-James (with Lily's eyes, a fact he tries to ignore) rudely asks Memory-Hagrid who he was without thanking him for the cake. They watch with bated breath as Valyn elbows him and Harry turns to her. They hold each others eyes. Not like they are challenging each other, but more like they are communicating in the odd way twins do. Valyn snorts and a brief grin flits on Harry's face as they turn back to Memory-Hagrid.

When Memory-Hagrid make a passing want of fire-whisky, Lily glares at him. They watch as Valyn stiffens and fear flashes on the twins faces. When Memory-Hagrid notices the fireplace and snorts, Valyn grins. Everyone catches their breath. Her face is transformed when she smile. Her forest green and silver eyes sparkle, and the general sense of sadness disappears. Her brother, responding to her happiness perks up as well.

Everyone stiffens in shock when she first speaks. Her voice is soft, and almost shy. But that isn't the reason for the shock. Her voice, so much like her mothers but with something _more_, has a drawling, musical, aristocratic element to it. Her brothers was different but the same all at once. Harry's had a bit of a rougher edge to it so it wasn't so feminine.

When Memory-Hagrid declines her offer, she goes back to her twins side, but everyone notices how she never turns her back on him or the Dursleys. Lily smiles as they relax when the fire gets started. She doesn't like them looking so guarded. That look shouldn't be on their faces. She is clinging to the hope that it hasn't been caused by her sister. Valyn's eyes darken as she stared into the fire, clearly a bad memory plaguing her.

Harry and Valyn tense as Memory-Hagrid take a sip of an amber liquid. James, Lily, Severus, Remus and Sirius all advance on him.

"Alcohol! Around my children?!" Lily shouts angrily.

"What the Hell Hagrid?!" James.

"How dare you?! You bumbling fool!" Severus hisses and angrily, eyes narrowed.

"How could you be so irresponsible?!" Remus growls, eyes flashing amber. His wolf in complete agreement.

"That's my godson! You-!" Sirius begins before Dumbledore cuts them all off.

"Hagrid had a moment where he didn't use his brain, however, he did not drink a whole bottle and neither of the children were hurt by that one action. Please, let us continue to view this memory." Lily, James, Sirius, Remus and Severus reluctantly turn away back to the memory, but they are all still fuming at Hagrid.

After the sausages are done cooking and Memory-Hagrid gives them to the twins, everyone notices Valyn look at them warily. The five stiffen when Harry takes a small bite out of each sausage and then Valyn tucks into the sausages. They exchange glances, no child should be wary of poison in their food.

_Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, Memory-Harry spoke up._

_"I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are." The giant takes a gulp of tea and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand._

_"Call me Hagrid," he said, "Everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o'course." He assumes, turning back to his tea. Harry and Valyn exchange glances._

_"Er - no," Harry awkwardly replies. Hagrid looks shocked._

Everyone stiffens in shock and turn accusing eyes on Dumbledore. The five with the closest connection to the twins draw closer together, something that draws them farther from Dumbledore.

_"Sorry." Harry apologizes quickly. Valyn rolls her eyes and pinches him on the leg. He sighs exasperated. _

_"Sorry?" Hagrid barks angrily , turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrink back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yet parents learned it all?" Valyn grins._

_"All what?" Harry asks. Valyn nudges him in the side._

_"All we can do Harry. I told you our parents must have been like us! We aren't freaks. In this room, the only freaks are them." She points victoriously at the cowering Dursleys._

Severus stiffens in shock while Lily, James and Sirius yell at the Headmaster. Remus is just barely keeping the wolf under control. Freaks. That is what Valyn said. And so casually. Like it was nothing.

As the twins show further ignorance about the Wizarding World, anger levels rise even farther. When Memory-Vernon attempts to speak up and Memory-Hagrid shuts him up, no one misses the vindictive pleasure that flashes on Valyn's face before it is swiftly hidden.

_"You never told them? Never told them what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer them? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"_

With those words, Valyn's whole demeanor goes colder than before. It is clear that she doesn't appreciate the fact that Hagrid had a hand in leaving her with the Dursleys. A horrible suspicion is forming in the fives minds.

When Hagrid tells them they are magical, Harry's face screams disbelief. Valyn's on the other hand, shows not shock, but acceptance. Like she had just been waiting for someone to tell her that she was different. That she was special.

When Hagrid attempts to hand the letter to Harry, Valyn knocks it out of the way and produces another letter to hand to her brother. While her brother is reading it, she keeps wary eyes upon Hagrid, only taking them off him once to flash a hate filled, cocky look and smirk to the Dursleys.

When Valyn reads the letter, Harry asks Hagrid a question and Valyn looks up to briefly whisper something to her brother that causes them to both smirk.

_"Why isn't there a letter for me?" I ask curiously. Hagrid pales and scratches his head._

_"Uh.." He fruitlessly searches in his pockets before coming up empty. "You aren' registered."_

_"Why not?" I cross my arms, narrow my eyes and tap my toe on the ground._

_"When you were a itty babe, yer mum an' dad signed yer brother up but didn't have the time to sign ye up. They thought they had years to sign ye up but you were unexpected. Yer brother was signed up before he were even born. They didn' know they was havin' a girl too." I freeze._

_"What happened to our parents Hagrid?" I ask icily, my forest green and silver eyes narrowed harshly and unrelenting upon the giant. Unfortunately, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, chooses that moment to move into the firelight._

_"He's not going." He says. Hagrid grunts unconcerned._

"Do you think they know we are alive?" Lily whispers to James. He smiles softly and gently kisses her head.

"I don't know Lil's." They turn back to the memory.

_"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him." Hagrid reply's._

_"A what?" Harry and Valyn ask together, interested._

_"A Muggle." Hagrid explains, "It's what we call non-magic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on." I snort._

_"Quite literally." Valyn says vindictively._

Severus fails to hide a snort at that.

_"We swore when we took them in we'd put a stop to that rubbish." Uncle Vernon snaps. "Swore we'd stamp it out of them! Witch and wizard indeed!"_

"Albus?" Lily asks dangerously.

"Yes, dear?"

"How often have you checked up on my children?" He smiles.

"I have someone watching them at all times. Rest assured, the twins have not been harmed." Not assured, Lily turns back to James.

When Harry looks like he is about to cry, Valyn steps in front of him as Petunia rants.

_"You knew?" Harry asks, hurt. I move closer to him and tuck myself into his side. Harry needs reassurance that he isn't alone. "You knew I'm a - a wizard? And that Twin is a witch?" Tears are glistening in Harry's emerald green eyes and pain resonates through the bond. She steps in front of him to shield him as Aunt Petunia begins her little rant._

_"Knew!" Aunt Petunia shrieks. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that-that school-and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!" She stops to draw a deep breath and then goes ranting on. It seems like she had been wanting to say all this for years._

_"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as - as - abnormal - and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!" Valyn wavers and Harry is instantly there supporting her. They are both very pale as everything they had ever know was torn up and spit on right before their eyes._

_As soon as they find their voices they say together, "Blown up? You told us they died in a car crash!"_

_"CAR CRASH!" roars Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttle back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry an' Valyn Potter not knowin' their own story when every kid in our world knows their name!"_

_"But why? What happened?" Harry asks urgently. The anger fades from Hagrid's face. He looks suddenly anxious._

_"I never expected this." He says, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, Valyn, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh - but someones gotta - yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'." He throws a dirty look at the Dursleys. "Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh - mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it..." He sits down, stares into the fire for a few seconds, and then says, "It begins, I suppose, with - with a person called - but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows-"_

_"Who?" They ask together._

_"Well - I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."_

_"Why not?" Harry asks._

_"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... Bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was... " Hagrid gulps and trails off, but no words came out._

_"Could you write it down?" Harry suggests._

_"Nah. Can't spell it." Hagrid shakes his head. Valyn sits forward and look at Hagrid through her lashes._

_"Please tell us Hagrid. We need to know. Please!" She makes her voice broken and hurt. _

_"All right - Voldemort." Hagrid shudders. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this- this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too - some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry, Valyn. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... Terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him - an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway."_

_"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' Girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... Probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side." _

_"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... Maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' - an' - - " Hagrid suddenly pulls out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blows his nose with a sound like a foghorn. "Sorry." He says. "But it's that sad - knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find -anyway... " _

_"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then - an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing - he tried to kill you, too." He points at my twin and I protectively grab his hand, silently daring anyone to try it again. "Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead?" He points at Harry's head. We did wonder but without this information, we couldn't wonder very much before we ran into a metaphorical wall._

_"That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a Powerful, evil curse touches yeh - took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even - but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age - the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts - an' you was only a baby, an' you lived." Harry winces and I clutch his hand harder. Through the bond I can feel his turmoil._

_As Hagrid's story comes to a close, Harry flinches and whispers aloud,"The blinding flash of green light, and now more clearly than I have ever remembered it before, I can remember something else. For the first time in our life, I can remember a high, cold, cruel laugh." Valyn flinches and curl further into Harry's side. _

_Hagrid is watching them with sadness and pity in his eyes. She bristles and shoves her feelings away. She composes herself and leans in front of Harry._

_"Take a deep breath Twin. Count to ten, just like I taught you." He follows her instructions and gains control over himself. She nod at Hagrid to continue._

_"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..." Hagrid begins._

_"Load of old tosh!" Uncle Vernon exclaims. Harry jumps and she flinches; Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He's glaring at Hagrid and his fists are clenched. "Now, you listen here; boy, girl." He snarls at us. "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating won't have cured - and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion - asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types - just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end-" She gets up and focus an ice cold glare on Uncle Vernon, Hagrid leaps up from the sofa and draws a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat._

_Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he says, "I'm warning you, Dursley -I'm warning you - one more word..." In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage (what little he had) fails him again and he flattens himself against the wall and falls silent. "That's better." Hagrid says, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sags right down to the floor._

_She slowly sits, her eyes still on Uncle. He glares back and she smiles, slowly and viciously and he flinches. _

_Harry, meanwhile, still has questions to ask, hundreds of them._

_"But what happened to Vol -, sorry - I mean, You-Know-Who?"_

_"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see... He was gettin' more an' more powerful - why'd he go? Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back. Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on - I dunno what it was, no one does - but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."_

_Hagrid looks at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes. _

_"Hagrid," Twin asks quietly. "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard." She smirks and shakes her head. _

_"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?" Harry looks into the fire. _

_"See?" Hagrid says. "Harry Potter, not a wizard - you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts." But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight._

_"Haven't I told you he's not going?" He hisses. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish - spell books and wands and-" Hagrid cuts him off._

_"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him." Hagrid growls angrily. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had...Albus Dumbled-"_

_"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Uncle Vernon yells. But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seizes his umbrella and whirls it over his head._

_"NEVER," he thunders, "- INSULT. ALBUS. DUMBLEDORE. IN. FRONT. OF. ME!" He brings the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley and there is a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley is dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turns his back on us, Harry and Valyn see a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers. Harry and Valyn exchange glances and break down in laughter. _

_Uncle Vernon roars with anger. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slams the door behind them._

_"Good riddance."Valyn calls with a self satisfied look on her face. Hagrid looks down at his umbrella and strokes his beard._

_"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he says ruefully, "But it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do." Harry and I giggle. Hagrid casts a sideways look at Harry and I under his bushy eyebrows. "Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts." He says. "I'm - er - not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff - one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."_

_"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" Harry asks._

_"Oh, well - I was at Hogwarts meself but I - er - got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."_

_"Why were you expelled?" Harry and Valyn ask curiously._

_"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow." Hagrid says loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that." He takes off his thick black coat and throws it to us. Harry catches it and then Valyn has to catch him as he buckles under the weight. "You can kip under that." Hagrid says, "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."_

No one says anything as it settles in. There is no doubt the twins have been abused. There is no doubt Dumbledore either doesn't know about it, suspects it and is doing nothing or knows and does nothing. No option is a good one.

Everyone is back in the office.

"Thank you for your time, I would like to have a rest before tonight. I shall see you later, Professor Potter, Professor Evan, Professor Snape, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, Professor Black, Professor Lupin, Professor Pomana, Hagrid." Dumbledore nods at them and they slowly leave. There is one thought in their minds.

_'We have to help the twins.'_


	8. Chapter 8: Living Alone

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: All outfits are on my profile. A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I do not own the song in this chapter. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

A/N: _Italics is Valyn using her eyes and body language to convey her message to her twin, and Italics with underline is Harry_ responding. The twins cannot read each others minds, they are just in tune with each other and knowing each others feelings helps them figure out what the other twin is trying to 'say.' I repeat, **THEY CAN'T READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS!  
**

Reviews are always appreciated! Just a recommendation, I would listen to the song "Charis" by Elend. It made me cry when I was writing this.

Keep hanging on guys, we will be going AU soon enough! And I would just like to send a thank you to my newest followers/favs: liquid-pheonix and Merilwen-Vendethiel! You guys make me happy when you fave and follow my story!

_:Parseltongue:_

**Chapter 8: Living without Twin**

* * *

_**September 2nd - 1991 (first full day without Harry)**_

* * *

Sighing, I roll onto my back. I glance at my watch. It is 6:30. Before I used to get up this early so I could take care of any wounds I would have and so I could bask in the peaceful emotions that Twin gives off in his sleep. Now, the only reasons I am up are: my alarm went off, my body woke me up because I am used to getting up at this time and because I need to prepare myself for a full day with the Dursleys and no Harry to be my support base.

I get up and gather my clothes. I quickly unlock the cupboard door and sneak up the stairs to the bathroom. I open the door and go in. I set down the clothes and _wish_ for the Dursleys to stay asleep and not come into the bathroom.

Then, I strip down and turn the water on. I wait until the water turns warm before getting the shower. I quickly scrub down before getting out. I get dressed and go downstairs to start dinner. Once a week, Aunt Petunia has me take a shower but the only condition is she doesn't want to see me going into or coming out of the bathroom. It probably pains her to actually be humane for a change.

I quickly and efficiently crack two dozen eggs into a bowl and whisk it while the bacon heats in the pan on the stove. I sprinkle some sugar, chopped peppers and onions in the bowl and whisk it together. That done, I pour the bowl into another pan on the stove. I manage the bacon and eggs while I make the coffee and make some fresh orange juice. I turn down the bacon and eggs and get out the plates. I go to the washroom, and grab the tablecloth from the dryer.

I place it on the table and set the plates and silver-wear where it goes. Then I put some toast in the toaster, while I scoop some eggs and bacon onto a plate for myself. I savor each bite as I watch the food. When I am done, I wash the plate and with a wicked smirk, put food on it and put it at Aunt Petunia's spot. Let's see if she is going to notice.

I get the toast and butter it. Then I get Dudley and Uncle Vernon's plates. Uncle Vernon gets coffee with a dash of milk, and 4 sugar cubes. At this rate, I won't have to kill them, they are doing well enough on their own. Dudley gets his orange juice and Aunt Petunia gets freshly brewed peppermint tea with ice.

After I finish, I start to make the cinnamon buns. It only takes a few minutes with them in the oven before I can hear everyone start to stir. A few minutes later, Dudley rushes into the kitchen and starts stuffing his face. He has a spoon in one hand and a fork in the other. He shoves food in his mouth, heedless of the eggs stuck on his chin. I turn away before I puke at the sight, something that I constantly have to do when I am around Dudley.

It doesn't take long before the adult Dursley's come downstairs. I take the cinnamon buns out of the oven and put them on the table. Aunt Petunia holds out a list and I take it.

"This is what you will do today. See that it is all done today, or you will have to deal with Vernon."

"Yes Aunt Petunia." I lower my head and unfold the list. It is long. I feel a sense of despair about the glee on Uncle Vernon's face about the prospect of having another go at my back. I look at the list again.

_**Mow the lawn**_

_**Plant the roses**_

_**Weed the garden**_

**_Trim the flowers_**

**_Vacuum_**_** the floors**_

_**Wash the floors**_

**_Steam mop the floors_**

_**Clean out the shed**_

_**Paint the shed**_

_**Paint the fence**_

_**Cook lunch**_

**_Clean the bathrooms_**

**_Do the laundry_**

**_Dust the house_**

**_Clean the kitchen_**

**_Go to the grocery store - Stock up on Dudley's favorites_**

**_Clean the master bedroom_**

**_Clean Dudley's room_**

**_Fix Dudley's bike_**

**_Cook dinner_**

**_Change the curtains_**

**_Take out the trash_**

Total chores...24...and I **have** to do them in order. No skipping around on the list. I learned that the hard way.

"Is there a problem?" Aunt Petunia asks me sharply. A gleam of triumph in her eyes. She doesn't think I can do this. I stiffen and smile sweetly at her.

"No ma'am. You like me to get started right now?" I ask, my mind swiftly searching for shortcuts.

"Yes." She sniffs, clearly disappointed I didn't react in a negative way. I nod at her and leave the room. I go to the shed and get out the lawn mower. With a sigh, I pull the string and it starts up with a roar. As I mow, I go in neat rows. I have to hid a smirk when I notice the neighbors coming out of their houses. After weeks of dropping hints around the neighborhood, they are finally noticing how the Dursley's are treating us.

Aunt Petunia has no clue what is in store for her. As I finish mowing, I wave cheerily at Mrs. Brown that lives at Number 7. She smiles and waves back. I kneel and start to plant the pink roses. After I dig a hole, I get up and go into the shed. I find the bag of dirt and make a point of staggering across the lawn with it on my shoulder. I am almost bend in half. I peak up through my hair and I notice Mrs. Brown muttering with Mr. Pickler from Number 9. He lives right next door to her. They keep glancing over at me and they look angry.

I finish planting and wipe my hand on my forehead. I glance 'longingly' at the house before lowering my head and trudging back to the shed. I come back out and drop to my knees in the garden.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Aunt Petunia screeches at me, rushing out of the house and grabbing me by the arm. "Those flowers are precious! You could have damaged them!" She suddenly pales. I look up and see Mrs. Brown, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Pickler and Mr. Pickler standing together. They all just saw her assault me. And the best part is...Mrs. Pickler is the most notorious gossip on Privet Drive. The word private doesn't even exist for her.

Aunt Petunia shoves me away and hurries into the house. I 'gingerly' get up from the ground and hide a grin when I hear the group rush over to me.

"Do you need help dear?" Mrs. Pickler asks me. I silently shake my head and 'blush.'

"I-I'm al-alright, th-thank y-you." I 'stammer.' They exchange glances.

"Well alright." They turn to leave before turning back.

"If it would be alright with you, I have a few jobs that I could offer you." Mrs. Pickler offers with a kind smile. Not to be outdone, Mrs. Brown pipes up.

"Yes, and I have few jobs as well. I also know a few other people that would need help." I smile shyly from under my inky lashes sweetly.

"Thank you. I would like that." I say softly and I can see them all melt.

"Let us know if you need any...help with anything." Mr. Brown offers, gently resting a hand on my shoulder. I flinch and raise a hand to protect my face. The four exchange worried glances. I glance anxiously at the yard.

"Excuse me, but I need to get back to my chores." I allow my shoulders to slump. "They have to be done by tonight."

"Well, what are they?" Mr. Pickler asks curiously. Oh you poor thing. Don't you know curiosity killed the cat? I obediently list my chores. After a few more glances, they hurry off to their houses.

I lower my head and grin before weeding the garden. I get up and get the trimmers. Then, I water the plants. After I finish, the garden looks so much better. The water drops are shimmering in the light as I turn and head in to the house. I get out the vacuum and get to work.

By the time I finish vacuuming, washing and steam mopping the floors, it is almost 12:30. I go back outside and start to clean out the shed. When I finish, I get out the paint. I have been instructed to paint it blue and trim in white. I finish and do the fence.

* * *

It is now 2:00 and I have just finished cooking lunch (of which I didn't get any), cleaning the kitchen, cleaning the bathrooms, unpacking the suitcases, doing the laundry, and dusting the house. I trudge to the cupboard and change my clothes before going to Aunt Petunia. After getting the required money, I leave the house. I take my time getting to the bus stop.

I get on the bus after paying fare and sit. I pull out my CD player and listen to music while I am on the way to the store. When I get there I get a cart and wave at the kind old lady at the check out station. She rigs the receipts so that it shows me paying more money than I should have to. I get to keep the money I 'spent' on groceries. She also sneaks me a candy bar. That is part of where all my money comes from.

I head back to the house. I 'have to walk' because I 'don't have enough' for the bus fare. I 'struggle' to the house and put the groceries away grinning evilly. All of the neighbors saw me 'slaving away' for the Dursleys.

After I put the groceries away, I go upstairs and clean Dudley's bedroom. I am careful my pockets don't jingle from the extra change I found in Dudley's room. That done, I go upstairs to clean the master bedroom. I strip the bed, put new sheets on, clean the mirrors, dust, and vacuum. Then I turn to the closet. I have finished getting all of the clothes hung up and am working on the shoes when I accidentally hit one on the wall. I freeze. Then I do it again.

There it is. A hollow thunk. I slowly put the shoe down, go to the closet door and shut it. I go back to the far wall of the closet and feel around it. There. I almost miss it. There is a slight draft. I would have missed it if I hadn't been looking for it. I try and pry it open but it resists. I am about to try again when I hear Aunt Petunia enter the room. I quickly and silently scramble to the other side of the room and pick up a hanger. I quickly take the jacket off of it and pretend I was putting it on the hanger when Aunt Petunia opens the closet door.

"What are you doing?" She snaps.

"Hanging up the jacket, it fell." I lie perfectly. I don't avoid her eyes, I don't make my face too inexpressive, I make sure I am not frozen but rather loose. My whole pose screams of the truth, but even so, I could swear her eyes briefly flicked to the back of the closet.

"Hurry up!" She stands over me while I finish with the shoes. I don't act like I know there is a hidden compartment in the back of the closet, I just hurry up and get out of the closet. I go to the kitchen and wash my hands. Time to make dinner.

I make roast beef, mashed potatoes with crushed bacon, onions, and cheddar, creamy corn, sweet rolls, rice, and then pour tall glasses of soda for the family. While I am doing that, I am able to sneak some food into a baggie under my shirt. I don't dare eat the food as Aunt Petunia might catch me. When it is all done, I once again, set the table and dish out the plates before going around the house and changing all the curtains.

Weighed down with my heavy load, I go downstairs and start the load of curtains. Then I trudge outside to fix Dudley's bike chain. It only takes a few seconds before I have to go back inside and take out the trash. After I do that, I wave cheerfully at the neighbors that are still watching before I go back inside.

I hand the list to Aunt Petunia.

_**Mow the lawn - Check**_

_**Plant the roses - Check**_

_**Weed the garden - Check**_

**_Trim the flowers - Check_**

**_Water the flowers - Check_**

**_Vacuum_**_** the floors - Check**_

_**Wash the floors - Check**_

**_Steam mop the floors -Check_**

_**Clean out the shed - Check**_

_**Paint the shed - Check**_

_**Paint the fence - Check**_

_**Cook lunch - Check**_

**_Clean the kitchen - Check_**

**_Clean the bathrooms - Check_**

**_Unpack the suitcases - Check_**

**_Do the laundry - Check_**

**_Dust the house - Check_**

**_Go to the grocery store - Stock up on Dudley's favorites - Check_**

**_Clean Dudley's room - Check_**

**_Clean the master bedroom - Check _**

**_Cook dinner - Check_**

**_Change the curtains - Check_**

**_Fix Dudley's bike - Check_**

**_Take out the trash - Check_**

She sniffs at me before shoving two pieces of bread and a small hunk of cheese at me. I take it and hurry back to the cupboard. I have to wait for a while before I sneak out of the closet and go up to Harry's room to let Adalric go out. I go outside with him as he swoops around. We sit out there for a little while before I have to go back inside.

As I lay in bed, I can't help but wonder what Aunt Petunia is trying to hide from me. Maybe it has something to do with the Wizarding World. It would explain why she is trying to hide whatever is in there. I roll over and the last thing I think before I fall asleep is, _'I wonder when (or even if) that snake will show up again.'_

* * *

_**September 8th - 1991 (A week without Harry)**_

* * *

It has been a week. A full week without a letter from Harry. I know he isn't in trouble because I can feel this almost constant sense of wonder flooding through the bond all the time now. I don't like it. Harry and I have always been together. Always. Now, for the first time in our lives, we have been split apart. Harry promised he would write to me, but so far there has been nothing. He hasn't even tried to communicate with me through the bond.

I feel alone.

* * *

"Girl. Get over here." Aunt Petunia hisses at me.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." I reply tonelessly and walk over to the kitchen table. It is a wonder it hasn't broken from all the weight put on it both by the food and the people that lean on it. I have to smother a grin at the mental sight of the table collapsing and the Dursley's with looks of open-mouthed shock on their faces. I must not have hidden it fast enough by the narrow eyed glare Aunt Petunia sees fit to grace me with, but she lets it slide.

"We are going to the fair down the street. You are complete your chores, finish your help with the neighbors and then come straight back to your cupboard. If you are not in your cupboard when we get back, you **will** regret it. Is that clear?" Aunt Petunia is in a snappy mood today. Probably because she has noticed the neighbors giving her and her husband dirty looks. It didn't take long for me to turn them against them. All I had to do was carefully show the residents of Privet Drive the evidence that has always been right there. Now they have taken notice of what the Dursley's are doing to me and they don't like it.

The jobs I was offered by Mrs./Mr. Brown and Mrs./Mr. Pickler were part of a scheme to get me away from the Dursley's if only for a few hours. I haven't really been working. All I really do is help with the garden and go grocery shopping with them. They still pay me though. Enough that I now have several different hiding spot in my cupboard. I have to _wish_ them to not be found though. One day, I am going to get Harry and I away from this place, and I will need the money to do so.

"Well?" I start. Right the question.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." I reply.

"Good. Now get started!" I nod and get to work.

* * *

As soon as I finish helping the neighbors, I hurry back to the house to do the chores. After letting Adalric out of his cage so he could keep me company, I go back down to the kitchen. On the table is the list. When I pick up the list from the table, I feel weary. The list is almost twice as long as last time. With a small thrill, I notice near the end of the list, I have to clean the master bedroom again. I have to hurry with the chores. I guess this means I can _wish_ for a little help. It shouldn't be too hard. I hurry around the house and close all of the blinds and curtains. As an extra precaution, I _wish_ for people to avoid the house.

I grin. I take a deep breath, roll my shoulders, raise my arms and _wish_. The dirt on the floors vanishes, and it sparkles like new. The dust disappears, the kitchen is in order, the bathrooms clean, bedrooms are done, and the walls look like they have a fresh coat of paint on them. Thank goodness I don't have any outside work until the Dursleys get back. Grinning, I rush up the stairs. When I get to the door, I pause. I mentally prepare myself, just in case it is nothing. Just in case. Wouldn't want to get my hopes up.

I turn the knob and push the door open. I step inside and shut the door behind be. I wish for the door to alert me should anyone attempt to open it and go to the closet. Within seconds, I am crouched in front of the compartment. Despite myself, I notice my hands trembling and my breath coming faster. All of my senses are heightened, and my magic dances and swirls around me. I reach out and place my hands on the wall. I take a deep breath, lower my head, close my eyes...and _wish_.

The compartment swings open with a gentle click. I count to three before I open my eyes and raise my head. For a second, my wonder-struck eyes darken and my hopes come crashing down. It is a dusty old trunk. I sit back on my heels and release a bitter laugh. A sob catches in my throat before I freeze. A glint of silver catches my eye. I narrow my eyes and I lean forward. Something I refuse to label as hope, stirs in my chest.

I reach forward and pull the trunk out. I set it down and look back in the compartment. There is nothing else in there. I close my eyes and _wish_ for what I want. A second later, a trunk shimmers into existence, identical to the one beside me. I grab the trunk beside me and take it downstairs to the cupboard.

I reach up and pull the string to turn the light on and set the trunk on the bed. I grab a rag and slowly wipe the trunk off. I would use my magic, but I have used a lot already. I need to have some left...just in case.

When I finish, I sit back and admire the trunk. It is clearly made of ebony and it has silver embellishments. There is a large emerald set in each corner of the trunk. There is a silver plate under the handle where a key should go, but it is smooth. It doesn't seem to be able to open. There is no slot for a key. I gaze at the trunk and _wish_ it to open. There is a click. I eagerly try to open the trunk but it won't open. I frown and _wish_ again. This time, there is no click and it still won't open.

I spend the next 3 hours trying to open the trunk. I am forced to stop when I hear the car doors slam shut. I drag it to the side under the stairs and pull out a wooden board. I shove the trunk under the space and put the board back. There, now they won't find it.

"Girl! I want dinner done before 7:30!" That only gives me an hour.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."

* * *

_**September 15th - 1991 (Second week without Harry - Day 15, no letters)**_

* * *

I pull out the trunk again. The Dursleys have gone out for ice cream. I run my hands over the smooth ebony wood.

"Why won't you open for me?" I whisper. "What secrets do you hide from my prying eyes?" I sigh and shove the trunk to the side.

Tap, Tap, Tap. I sit up. Tap, Tap, Tap. I cock my head to the side. It sounds familiar. Like when the owl was tapping the window the morning after Hagrid broke into the house on the rocks. I sit bolt upright. Hedwig! The cupboard door swings open without me saying a word and I rush to the second bedroom. Hedwig is outside the window. I let out a whoop of glee and race to the window.

"Heya there girl!" She is holding something in her beak. "Is that for me?" She stretches her neck to me and I eagerly take the letter. With a snap of my fingers, Hedwig's bowls are filled with water and food for her. I unroll the letter and begin to read.

_Dear Twin, _

_First, I want to say sorry. I meant to write but the classes swept me up and I had no time to write. I also have some important news. I don't know how to phrase this, so I am just going to tell you. Our parents are alive. I know! I was shocked too. Everything everyone told us pointed to them being dead. I know this will irk you more than a little but I have to start from the beginning._

_I was getting nervous at the train station because people were giving me funny look 'cause of Hedwig. I tried asking a guard but he just look at me like I was crazy as soon as I mention Platform 9 and 3 quarters. I was panicking. I only had about 10 minutes left to get on the train. Lucky for me, I heard a red-headed lady talking about Muggles. (No this wasn't our mum. It was Mrs. Weasley.) She was telling her daughter Ginny she couldn't go to Hogwarts 'til next year. Anyway, they went to the space between Platform 9 and 10 but just before I saw the way through, a crowd blocked my view and the boy, Percy (he looked like the oldest one) had disappeared! _

_Then the twins went. Yup! We aren't the only twins! They are older than us. They are in their third year. They went through but I couldn't figure out how! So I went and asked the lady. She was pretty nice. She had a son our age called Ron. It is his first year too. All I had to do was run at the solid wall between the two barriers. I was scared but I did it. It was pretty cool! I had to take it at a run and I closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes, I saw a huge scarlet steam engine! It was gleaming. As I walked through the crowd, you wouldn't believe some of the things I heard! _

_A boy called Neville lost his toad, and a boy with dreadlocks had a spider! When I tried to load my trunk on the train, one of the twins offered to help me. Their names are Fred and George. They seem pretty cool. Their older brother is a Prefect. The twins were teasing him about it, it was funny. It was embarrassing though. Everyone knows who I am when sometimes even I don't know who I am.  
_

I read as Harry described how his friendship with Ron began. I grin as I read about the chocolate frogs. It is pretty awesome that Dumbledore had a hand in discovering the 12 uses of Dragons blood. I snicker as I read the 'spell' that Ron tried on his rat. I think I will really like Fred and George. I frown as I read Ron's thoughts on the Hogwarts houses. I can tell it is influencing Harry. I can already tell I would make the perfect Slytherin and so would Harry.

Besides that, I don't want Harry to allow himself to be influenced by the people around him. We aren't sheep. We make decisions based on what we know, not what other people try and tell us.

_There was a boy. He came in the compartment. He was so rude! Specially to Ron. He said, "My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford. You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there. " Then he held out his hand as if I would take it after that. He made some rude comments before he left. __When we go off the train, Hagrid was waiting for us._

I smile wistfully as I read about Harry's first glimpse of the castle. It sounds so amazing. Loneliness wells in me as I wish I could be there. Twin and I aren't meant to be apart. I read about Professor McGonagall's speech and I snicker at Harry's nervous gesture of smoothing down his hair. Nothing ever seems to work for his hair.

The ghosts were interesting, and I like the sorting hat. I frown as Harry tells me how he argued with the hat but I grin when he gets into Gryffindor. I am glad that he got into the house that he wanted.

_That was when I looked up at the table. That was when I saw them. Mum was sitting next to a man with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin. She was talking animatedly with him while Dad (who was sitting on her other side) made faces at him. He was sitting with another black haired man. They were snickering and having fun._

I read as after dinner Harry is called to the Headmasters office and meets our parents for the first time. I don't know what to feel when I hear about how happy they were to see him. They abandoned us. Why didn't they come and save us? I finish the letter that describes his first week and I curl up in bed. At that point, all I wish I could do is cry. The tears are pressing at my eyes, but I don't know how to let them fall. I think I have forgotten how to cry.

* * *

_**September 16th - 1991 (Beginning of third week without Harry)**_

* * *

When school was going, there was this boy in my class that liked me. His name was Match, short for Matchitehew. I know, weird name, but it is from his great-grandpa something or another. Anyway, he was cute. He had brown hair and brown eyes. All of the girls in our class like him, but he focused on me. Everyday, he would walk me home and then leave. I haven't seen him in a while, so it was a surprise when I was escaping down the street to the park and I saw him. He slowed down when he saw me and crossed the street.

"Hey." I smile shyly at him.

"Hey." I start walking again and he walks with me, pushing his bike beside him.

"Need a ride?" I hesitate before nodding.

"Sure."

For the next week we hang out. He is so cute, and I find myself feeling like I like him as more than a friend.

* * *

**_September 20 - 1991 (still without Harry)_**

* * *

I finish my most of my chores and head outside to finish my last chore. All I have to do is weed the garden. The Dursley's have gone out to watch a film at the theater. I go to the garden and kneel in the garden. I have almost finished the garden when I get a nasty shock.

_:Hello: _I whirl around when I hear a hissing voice and my hands spark as my magic rises to protect me. My eyes fall on a large boa constrictor and I grin. I reach out and run a hand against the glistening brown coils.

_:I was wondering if you were going to show up.: _She raises her head and sways side to side.

_:I said I would come to you, didn't I? Us snakes always keep our word.: _I grin.

_:My apologies. I meant no offense. Would you allow me to finish the garden before I can take you inside?: _She lowers her head.

_:If you insist. I will allow it.: _I nod and hurry with my chores. I start to pick her up but I stop.

_:Would you mind if I were to shrink you? I need to hide you so I don't get into trouble.: _

_:Very well.: _I grin and quickly _wish_ her to a smaller size before carrying her into the house.

I go into the cupboard and close it. I turn and set her on the bed. Adalric cocks his head to the side and eyes her.

"She isn't food Ric. She is a..." I hesitate and grin at a memory before continuing. "She is a mutual acquaintance." He ruffles his feather and tucks his head under his wing. I turn to the snake and pick her up.

_:What is your name?: _She raises her head.

_:My name is Nagini.: _She hisses._ :And yours?:_

_:My name is Valyn.: _

_:What is that?: _I look to see what she means and I see the trunk.

_:That is a trunk. I have been trying to open it but it refuses to. I used my magic and that unlocked one lock, I put my thumb on the key plate, that unlocked another and when I said my full name that unlocked another lock. Anther time when I said my mothers full name, that unlocked another lock, but nothing I say or do will unlock that last lock. I pretty much have given up for now until I get a new idea.: _She surveys the trunk before turning to me.

_:Have you tried putting a drop of blood on the key plate? In the Wizarding world, that is usually how the trunks are locked. It is extra protection.:_

_:No, I haven't tried that.: _ I pull the trunk to me and grab a pin. I close my eyes and prick my finger. The blood falls on the key plate..._click, buh-thunk_. I open my eyes. It unlocked all the way. I pull the top opened. There is a letter on top.

_My darling little girl,_

_ I have prepared this trunk for you in the event your father and I do not survive the war. In this trunk is everything you need to know. My schoolbooks from all seven years, my notebooks, and various other items that I felt you needed. I love you my sweet. Please don't ever doubt that. _

_If all has gone well, you are either living with my friend and your godfather, Severus Snape, or my (and your father's) friend, Remus Lupin-Black. Severus is a famous Potion Master. He is the youngest at the age of 19. Remus is your fathers childhood friend. He is also a werewolf. Do not be afraid, you are pack to him and you have secured the title of Cub in his and his inner wolves mind. _

_They love you so much, regardless of the bad blood between the two. Even now, I watch as Severus and Remus take turns and play with you. They are your ga'pa's as you call them. Remus is Moony and Severus is Sevi. I love you sweetling. _

_Always and forever,_

_Your mother, Lily_

* * *

_**September 21st - 1991 (No Harry)**_

* * *

"Did you know the fair is in town today?" Match asks me shyly.

"Yes, I did. Why?" My heart is pounding in my chest.

"Well..." He hesitates.

"Yes?" I prompt.

"Would you like to go with me?" I smile.

"I would be honored. Tomorrow?" He smiles bashfully.

"Yeah, I would like that." We reach number 4 and I turn to face him.

"See you tomorrow." And before I can loose my courage, I lean forward and kiss him on the cheek before fleeing into the house.

* * *

**_September 22nd - 1991 (No Harry)_**

* * *

_:I don't think you should go.: _Nagini hisses at me.

_:You are a snake, what do you know?: _I grab my bag and slip out of the cupboard.

_:I may be a snake, but it appears that I am not the only one.:_

* * *

I slip out of the back door and race down the street to the fair. The Dursleys are going to the fair tonight too, so I have to be careful not to get caught.

I whirl around when someone taps me on the shoulder. It is Match.

"Hey." I smile and tuck my hair behind my ear. He smiles down at me.

"Hey. Do you want to try a few games." He asks.

"Sure." I grin and take his offered arm as we head off.

* * *

I am laughing and jumping around because I have won a ring toss game and it happens. Dudley and I see each other. I freeze before whipping around.

"What is it?" Match's eyes are light with laughter.

"Nothing." I smile and he leans closer.

"Want to get out of here?" I bite my lip and glance over my shoulder. The sight of Dudley quickly makes my decision for me.

"Sure." He smiles and his brown eyes light up.

"Cool, lets go." He takes my hand and we leave. I get on the back of his bicycle and he pedals us away. I get worried when I see we are headed to the school, but I quickly shove it down. He would never hurt me, I chant in my head. I can trust him.

"All right, come on." He takes my hand and leads me to the gym. When he breaks the glass and opens the gym door, I hesitate.

"Should we be doing this?" A bad feeling is growing in my chest.

"Yes, we won't get in trouble. Come on." I take his hand and follow him. He turns me around and I face him. He leans closer.

"What are you doing?" I whisper. He smirks.

"Kissing you." He leans in and kisses me. I freeze before kissing him back. The lights turn on. I break away and look up. It is the principle and a police officer.

"What is going on here?!" The principle asks angrily. I look at Match, but to my surprise, he has a mean look on his face.

"She broke the glass and brought me in here! I didn't want to, but she held a piece of glass at me! And then she tried to kiss me! It was awful!" The officer nods gravely.

"Thank you son, for telling us the truth." The officer turns to me, but I turn and run. My magic is lashing wildly inside and I don't know what to do. I burst out the doors and all of my classmates are there.

"Ha ha!"

"Such a freak!"

"I can't believe she fell for it!"

"Wait, Match is coming!"

I turn and he is behind me.

"Match?" I whisper brokenly, tears threatening to break freak. The wind is whipping around. He sneers and swaggers forward.

"M-match?" He mocks me and laughs cruelly. "Please! You didn't really think that _I_ could ever like someone like _you_?!" He asks incredulously. I stagger back and water hits my cheek. It starts to rain and as they stand there and jeer at me, my magic wants to get free...so I let go. Thunder cracks and lightning strikes the ground. They all scream but all I can do is look at his cruel eyes and let the pain sweep me away.

"Miss? You are going to have to come with me." I am numb as I let the officer lead me away.

* * *

"What were you thinking girl?!" Uncle grabs me by the ear and tosses me down the steps and into the basement. After the officer dropped me off, he flew into a rage.

I lay limply as he rains kicks and punches down on me. I...I can't feel anything. I don't have the strength to hide this pain. It radiates through my whole body. I hurt. I don't want to be alone. Please don't let me be alone.

* * *

**_September 22nd - 1991 (Hogwarts - Gryffindor 1st year boy dorms - Third Person P.O.V.)_**

* * *

Harry jerks awake in his bed. Something is wrong. He can _feel_ it. Something is wrong with Val. The bond is different. It is faint. She is slipping away.

Panic overwhelming him, Harry tosses the covers back and races down the stairs. He takes the steps in big leaps and rushes out of the common room. He ignores the Fat Lady calling after him. Harry races blindly down the halls, tears streaming down his cheeks.

She has never felt like this. So much **_pain_.** So much **loneliness**. It resonates through the bond. She feels so hopeless. Harry skids around the corner and collides into someone.**  
**

"Please! Please, you have to help me! You have to help-"

"Potter! It is after curfew! Wandering around when you aren't supposed to, just like your worthless father!" Snape hisses, before taking a closer look at him. Harry is pale and sweat soaked. His eyes hold a blind panic and he can see the pupils are blown wide with fear. "What is wrong with you?"

Harry grasps at his hand babbling.

"Please! Hurt, alone! Need help!" Severus frowns.

"Speak slower." He orders through gritted teeth. Harry doesn't have any female friends and Severus has just seen Lily. There is only one other _she _he could be talking about. A bad feeling is growing in his chest.

"Valyn! She needs help! She is fading away! I _need _to help her! Please!" Severus doesn't even pause. He just grabs Harry and runs to the Headmaster's office. Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, McGonagall, Flitwick and Dumbledore all turn to face him as he bursts through the door.

"Valyn needs help." Everyone falls silent.

"How do you know, dear boy?" Dumbledore asks kindly, eyes solemn.

"He knows. He says she is fading. We need to go and get her Dumbledore." Dumbledore nods gravely and gets up. Lily grabs Harry and James is right by her side.

"Lily, James, and Sirius. I need you three to go to the hospital wing and alert Madam Pomfrey that something may be wrong. Just in case. Severus, Remus, Minerva and Filius will accompany me to the Dursley's residence." Dumbledore grabs a handful of Floo powder and tosses it into the fire. The flames roar an emerald green. "Arabella Figg's house!" He shouts and steps through. The other four follow after.

* * *

Dumbledore raises a hand and raps on the door of Number Four Privet Drive. There is the sound of someone stomping down the hall before the door is wrenched open.

"What do you want?" Vernon Dursley snaps harshly before paling at the sight of the Wizard Robes. Remus stiffens and his eyes flare amber. The scent of Valyn's blood is all over the man in front of him. He could never forget it.

"What did you do?!" He snarls and lunges forward. Everyone has to hold him back, though if anyone noticed Severus wasn't doing all that much to hold him back, they never mentioned it. "What have you done?!" Vernon stumbles back, fear turning his face a pasty white.

"F-freaks! Petunia!" They force their way in the door and advance into the living room. Remus's eyes are locked on Vernon and a low growl is rumbling through his entire body.

"Vernon? Vernon! Oh my goodness!" Petunia shrieks angrily. "Let him go!"

"My name is-" Dumbledore begins.

"I know who you are! What do you _freaks_ want?!" Dumbledore's eyes harden.

"I want to know where Valyn Potter is." Petunia pales.

"The frea-girl isn't here. She ran away!" She blusters.

"She is lying." Remus's eyes shift to Petunia. "Where is she? Where is my goddaughter?!" Severus takes out his wand and casts a spell.

"_Point Me: Valyn Potter._" His eyes narrow and he strides into the hallway. Remus rushes past him and stops at the cupboard door. He reaches out a hand and rips the chains away before swinging the door open.

"Oh Merlin!" Professor McGonagall lets slip. Everyone is pale with shock. Valyn is curled into a ball against the far wall. Her hair is matted and soaked. Remus doesn't have to smell the air to know it is soaked with blood. Her legs are at odd angles and her breathing is quick and shallow. Her face is riddled with open sores and bruises.

Severus swallows hard and reaches into the cupboard. "_Lumos_." Sharp breaths are drawn in as the light washes over her. The clothes on her are rags and the whip lashed that into pieces. There is a black bag sitting beside her, so Severus grabs it, shrinks it and sticks it in his pocket before levitating her into his arms.

Her head lolls onto his shoulder and he shudders as he can feel how light she is. Her bones are digging into his side because she doesn't have enough meat on her. Panic wells in him as he stands and looks at her. She looks so small and vulnerable in his arms.

She raises her head weakly and opens her now dull forest green and silver eyes. She smiles weakly as her eyes meet his.

"S-" She gulps. "Sevi?" A ball forms in his throat at her weak, hope filled question.

"That's right, Valley. I am right here. I have you." She lowers her head.

"Remy?" Remus steps forward.

"Right here, cub. I am not leaving your side. Severus and I are going to keep you safe."

"Safe? What is that?" Everyone flinches and Severus has to close his eyes.

"No one is going to hurt you." Severus says.

"We are going to take you to Hogwarts." Remus adds. Her eyes brighten.

"Hogwarts? I can see Twin? I don't have to be alone?" Remus lets out a sob before he can help himself. He opens his eyes when Valyn takes his hand.

"Not anymore cub. You don't have to be alone." Valyn lowers her head and rests it on Severus's shoulder smiling faintly.

"I knew you would come. I knew my ga'pas would save me." Remus and Severus share a guilt stricken look before turning away.

"We will have to floo her, Severus. Anything else is too dangerous. It could upset her wounds and cause her to die before we can get her to Hogwarts." Dumbledore gently informs him. Severus nods curtly and turns to leave. He stops and turns around. He hands Valyn to Remus and his anger only grows when she desperately, weakly struggles to keep a hold on him.

He pulls out his wand and stalks to Vernon. The tip of his wand glows green as he raises it and shoves it into the Muggles throat.

"I should kill you. I would be nothing less than you deserve." It is a testement to how true that statement is that no one tries to stop him. "But I won't stoop so low." He raises his wand.

"_Commune poena_." The spell is one to make the Dursley's suffer as they had made Valyn suffer all those years. They would feel her pain as she felt it and live those moments as she lived them. He raises his wand again. "_Non discedere_." They would be unable to leave the house. He wouldn't have them getting away from him. They would face proper justice. As he raises his wand a final time, he pictures Valyn as she is hurt and he casts his final spell. "_Internum cruentam_." It would create the illusion of him bleeding internally. He would feel the pain as though it was really happening. It was only fitting, and thought the spell was **_really_** bordering on Dark, he knew he needed to do it. For his goddaughter. As he walked back to Remus and took his goddaughter back in his arms, he half expected there to be disgust in Remus's eyes.

There was only the dark promise of retribution.

* * *

The following spells are created by me and thus are mine:

_Commune poena - shared pain_

___Non discedere - unable to leave_

_____Internum cruentam - internal bleeding_

Yes, the snake Harry freed in the first book/movie is really Nagini. J.K. said in a interview:

"_Yes, it's rather funny, really, that next to no-one realised the snake that Harry set free in Philosopher's Stone turned out to be Voldemort's final Horcrux, Nagini._" — J.K. Rowling


	9. Chapter 9: Finally Together

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: All outfits are on my profile. A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I do not own the song in this chapter. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

A/N: _Italics is Valyn using her eyes and body language to convey her message to her twin, and Italics with underline is Harry_ responding. The twins cannot read each others minds, they are just in tune with each other and knowing each others feelings helps them figure out what the other twin is trying to 'say.' I repeat, **THEY CAN'T READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS!  
**

Reviews are always appreciated!

I would just like to send a thank you to my newest followers/favs: NoOneNotEvenMe and BarakTheSlayer! You guys make me happy when you fave and follow my story!

The definitions for the wand woods comes from Pottermore a website that is pretty cool. I do not own the wand wood definitions.

_:Parseltongue:_

_There is only a slight change to this. I gifted Harry with the air element because of his flying gift. Valyn has Ice element, a sub-category from water (something Harry still has.)_

**Chapter 9: Diagon Alley**

* * *

******_September 22nd - 1991 (Hogwarts Infirmary - Third Person P.O.V.)_**

* * *

"Hold her head up!"

"Bring her over here Severus!"

"Get me some potions!"

"I need someone to restrain her! But gently or I will have your head!"

"I want-"

"Stop!" Harry shouts. Everyone turns to him in shock.

"What do you think you are doing boy? We need to save her!" Severus hisses, eyes angry and on the wild side.

"No." The room falls completely silent as Harry moves in front of his twin and his hands start to spark.

"Harry, my dear boy. Perhaps-" Dumbledore begins but gets cut off again.

"No." Severus is about to lunge at the boy but Remus holds him back. Sirius, confused looks at the two. When had they become each others support base?

"Why not?" Lily asks, her voice trembling.

"Because she doesn't need it." Harry says calmly.

"Doesn't need it?" Severus hisses again. "She has multiple broken bones, punctured lungs, bruises and open sores all over her and she doesn't need it?" Harry doesn't flinch. When it comes to his sister, he would do anything for her. Anything.

"No."

"Why not?" James asks this time. Harry turns and climbs into the bed and gently pulls his twin up onto her chest so her head is over his heart.

"Because that will interfere with her healing." They exchange confused glances.

"Her healing?" Sirius asks and Harry nods.

"Don't you think this has happened before?" Everyone flinches in shame. "One time when we were younger, Twin got beaten so badly she was unconscious. I was only five and I didn't know what to do. Every time she had gotten hurt before, she had healed herself, but it didn't seem like she was healing herself then, so I tried to help. It worked but when Twin woke up, she found out what I was doing and wanted me to stop. Turns out, when I put my magic into her, her magic couldn't handle it. It caused her healing to slow down. Twin's magic always heals her. It starts with the outside with all visible wounds, then it fixes the inside. If you put all of the potions and spells on her, it will interfere with her healing and could cause her to die."

"So you are saying we should leave her alone? And let her heal herself?" Remus asks, his wolf still close to the surface.

"Yes." Nobody knows what to say.

"Regardless of that, I will be doing regular checkups on her. And there will be two adults with her at all times. I am going to have to ask everyone else to leave. Mr. Potter, you need to rest."

"No." Harry looks calmly at her. He will fight to the death for this. He had let them be separated not once but twice before and this is what happened. Not this time. Not when he can and will prevent this.

"Excuse me?" Madam Pomfrey looks at him with shock.

"Harry, maybe-" Lily begins, but Harry doesn't want to listen.

"She needs me. She needed me before and I wasn't there for her." Harry's voice breaks and Lily flinches at the raw agony in his voice. "She needed me to be there I wasn't. So, I am going to be here all the time. I am going to stay by her side, because she needs me. She once told me that having me close by helped her heal. She said it reassured her she wasn't alone and by herself. She needs me because my heartbeat is soothing to her and helps speed up her healing. Skin to skin contact, like holding hands, helps her too. And the two adults that will stay with her are going to be Snape and Professor Lupin. They are her godfathers and she needs them here too."

"Why not us?" James asks.

"Because she hates you." Lily flinches.

"What? Why?" Harry looks at her.

"Because you left us. Because you didn't rescue us. Because you didn't keep trying to find us. Because you moved on and forgot about us. Need I go on?"

"We didn't do that." James defends.

"Oh no?" Harry arches a cruel brow. "When was the last time you went out and looked for us?" James flounders so Lily answers.

"It has been almost three years. Ever since Debriana, your youngest sister was born. Dumbledore said-"

"And that right there is why she refuses to trust you. 'Dumbledore said.' She thinks that you guys, and here I am directly quoting her, "have your heads so far up Dumbledore's ass, you refuse to see what is going on around you." Remus snickers before he can cover it up. A smile twitches at the corners of Severus's mouth. Dumbledore's eyes are somber and Lily and James have fallen silent. "The fact that you would rather listen to Dumbledore and stop fighting for us, irks her so badly. And this will probably make her mad that I am telling you this, but I know it hurts her deeply. The pain is deep. She can't bear the thought that we weren't important enough to you that you wouldn't continue looking for us, no matter what anyone else said."

"All right. But we are staying. We will be over by the door." Harry nods and turns to Severus and Remus.

"You guys can pull up a chair." Severus sneers but does as Harry says. "Alright, now that you are sitting down, I need you to do something. Do the two of you know how to project your magic around you?"

"Yes." They both reply instantly and Harry nods.

"Okay, I am going to need you to do that. Think happy thoughts of Val healing and wrap your magic around her. Don't do anything, just wrap it around her in the equivalent of a hug. It will help her know that you are here and she is safe. That will speed up the healing process." They nod and begin.

* * *

_**September 24th - 1991 (Hogwarts infirmary - 2 days later)**_

* * *

"Hey Harry." Ron walks over to his friend. "How's it going?"

"Good. She is healing." Ron nods and shifts on his feet.

"Just spit it out Ron." Harry says amused.

"What is going on? None of the Professors will tell me."

"Did you know I have a twin sister?" Ron nods his head, a confused expression on his face.

"Yeah, Valyn Potter. She is almost as famous as you are."

"Well, do you remember how I told you the Dursley's made us sleep in a cupboard?"

"Yeah."

"Well...that isn't all they did. They beat us too. Two days ago, I felt Twin get hurt. I told Dumbledore and he went and got her."

"Why are Snape and Professor Lupin in here all the time then?"

"Because they are her godfathers. Kind of like Sirius is mine." Ron's mouth drops open.

"Bloody hell! Can you imagine have to have _Snape_ as your godfather? I bet he is awful." Harry scowls. He may not like Snape, but Val does and that is enough for him.

"Don't say his name like that. It's rude." Ron looks at him weirdly.

"So? Since when have you cared about stuff like that?" Harry lowers his head in shame. If Val knew just what he had been saying about her godfather, she would flip. Val is big on family.

"I shouldn't have been so rude to him. Val would kill me if she found out." Ron sits forward.

"So? What does that matter?" Harry almost snaps at him, but Val stirs in his arms.

"Ron, you are going to have to leave." Ron opens his mouth to protest but leaves quickly when he sees Professor Snape headed his way. "Professor Snape, Val is waking up."

"So I see." Snape drawls in his silky baritone voice. He pulls up a chair as Lupin joins them. They wait as she stirs again. Val groans and shifts onto her side. She opens her eyes and the first thing she sees is her brother.

* * *

_**Val P.O.V.**_

* * *

"Mmmmmm." I groan and roll on my side. Someone shakes me and I open my eyes. It takes a few seconds for me register what I am seeing in my brain. It is Twin. I shriek, lunge forward and pull him into a hug. He grins and hugs me back. I go limp and he supports me, then he goes limp and I support him. We do this back and forth for a few seconds, sharing our happy emotions before I pull back. I put my hands on his shoulders and do a quick review of him.

"You are too skinny. You need to eat more. You have black circles under your eyes, stop staying up so late. You stink, when was the last time you took a shower? You-" Harry grins and hugs me again.

"Missed you, Val." I smile and hug him back.

"Missed you too, Re." Someone clearing their throats makes me pull back and stiffen. I warily scan the room before settling on the two men sitting next to the bed. I shift in front of Harry and narrow my eyes at them. The first man has pale skin, black hair, black eyes, black robes, and stained hands. I zero in on the stained hands. I remember those hands. Heart in my throat, I look at the other man.

He had brown hair and amber eyes. His robes are clearly made from good fabric and he had a kind air about him. I raise my eyes to his amber ones and look at the other man's stained hands again. I remember the amber eyes. Those I have always remembered. My breath catches in my throat as I raise my eyes to them again.

"Sevi? Remy?" I whisper. They share anxious glances before nodding. I slowly move so that I am sitting on the edge of the bed. My muscles tense as I prepare myself, just in case they hit me. I glance at Remy before I look at Sevi. I slowly stand and I wobble a little. His hands shoot out to steady me but I flinch and he pulls back. I look at him and slowly raise my hands to his face. I rest my hands on his cheeks before letting go and grabbing his hands. I slowly raise them to my face.

"Just like I remembered." I whisper, and he starts. I stand up and move forward. Without a word, he raises his arms. I stare at them before I get it. A hug. He wants to give me a hug. I glance nervously at Harry, who nods encouragingly at me. I lean into Sevi's embrace. His arms wrap around me and I stiffen. He just rests his hands lightly on my shoulders. I take a deep breath, he smells like peppermint and sage to me. I lean closer and rest my head in the crook of his neck as I relax. This feels good. I feel safe and warm. I stiffen and pull back. Those emotions can be dangerous.

I turn to Remy and he holds out his arms. He doesn't say anything at first, but when I don't move, he speaks.

"It's okay cub, I would never hurt you." His eyes flare and I know his wolf is in complete agreement. I warily move forward and he pulls me close. He smells like parchment and chocolate. I smile and lean closer. I yawn a little as I get tired, so I crawl into his lap. I curl up so my back is against his chest and I am facing Harry. I hold out my hand and Sevi takes it in his. I smile and close my eyes as I drift to sleep.

No longer alone, finally safe.

* * *

**_September 25th - 1991 (Hogwarts Infirmary)_**

* * *

I roll over and get up.

"Where do you think you are going?" I whirl around. Madam Pomfrey is standing there with her hands on her hips. I smile sweetly and 'blush' as I am caught.

"I was trying to find my bag. Did anyone bring it?" I ask politely. Recognition flares on her face and she holds up a finger before going into her office. When she comes back out, she has my bag in her hand.

"Before I give this to you, what will you be doing with it?"

"I need to take a shower, my stuff is in it." She nods.

"The bathroom is over there, take as long as you need. You will find another hospital gown in there, you must put it on. Understood?" I lower my head and nod. She hands me my bag and I gently take it from her before I go to the bathroom. When I get in there, I drop to my knees and open my bag. Nagini immediately raises her head and hisses angrily at me.

_:Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting for you to find me?! I have been in this bag for days! Days! When I came to you, you promised to take care of me! Not leave me locked in your bag!:_

_:Are you done? Good, because I was unconscious those days. I have only just woken up.: _No need to let her know I was up yesterday. _:I am sorry.:_

_:Well, do you have anything for me to eat?: _

_:No, sorry. I could **wish** you invisible so you could go to the forest and eat.: _I offer. Nagini likes that idea, so I quickly _wish _her invisible and open the door for her. I shut the door and climb into the shower.

When I get out, I feel so much better. I wrinkle my upper lip as I put on the hospital gown. I grab my bag and leave.

"-are you talking about. She wasn't here when I came in!" A tall red haired boy was telling Harry when I left the bathroom. Judging by the fact he was clutching a rat to his chest, I guess he is Ron.

"Hello Ronald." I say, and he whirls around. Harry grins and hugs me.

"Hey Twin." I smile and hug him back before turning to Ronald and holding out a hand.

"My name is Valyn." He takes it in a daze, glancing back and forth between me and Harry.

"Wicked!" He breaths. "I have lived with Fred and George all my life, but this is still awesome! You look so alike! Except your hair is longer and your eyes are darker. And you guys aren't like Fred and George. I mean, you don't talk like they do." I share a mischievous look with Harry before we turn in perfect unison back to Ronald.

"What-" Me

"Do-" Harry

"You mean?" Harry and I.

"I think-" Me

"Twin and I-" Harry

"Talk normal." Harry and I say together. Ron's mouth drops open and he looks at us.

"Wicked!" I turn to Harry, amused.

"Do you think we broke him?" Harry laughs.

"I don't know. Ron!"

"What?" Ron snaps out of it.

"Introduce yourself."

"Oh, right." Ron grins. "My name is Ron and-"

"I know who you are." I cut in icily. Time to put my plan in action. Ron may be friends with Harry, but he is giving him bad habits. Let's see if I can change that.

"Huh?" Ron glances at Harry, confused. I cross my arms.

"You are the sloppy eater, loud mouth, sloppy dresser, rude, dumb, 1st year of Gryffindor." Ron's face reddens.

"Hey!" I smirk.

"You know it's true."

"I can't help it!" He reply's hotly. "My family doesn't have a lot of money!" I narrow my eyes.

"So? For the first 10 years of our lives, Twin and I haven't had money. We still manage to act appropriately." He opens his mouth to argue but I don't give him the chance. "Tell you what. I don't like your negative influence on my brother. So, I am willing to make a few deals. Here is the first: I will buy you new clothes if, and only if, you play chess with me."

"Chess?" He furrows his brow in confusion.

"Yeah, I doubt you are one to accept charity, so I am proposing a trade. It is a win/win for the both of us. I will be able to play against someone who knows how to play chess, and you get a knew wardrobe. You won't be sloppy and my brother won't pick up bad habits. It is a win all around." Ron's mouth drops open.

"Sure!" I grin and pull parchment out of my bag.

"Good, then you won't have a problem signing this magical contract then." He takes it and looks it over. I made it very simple.

_**I, Ronald Bilius Weasley, do swear to:**_

_** play regular games of chess with Valyn Adar Donelle Potter**_

_**With the condition of:**_

_**Dressing properly**_

_**Signed, _**_

_**I, Valyn Adar Donelle Potter, do agree to the terms listed.**_

_**Signed, Valyn Adar Donelle Potter**_

He takes the quill from me and signs it. There is a flash of violet and white light, signifying the agreement being bound in magic. The parchment doubles and I hand one copy to Ronald and keep the other copy.

"I have another deal to make with you." He nods to show he is listening. "I want to see your wand."

"Why?" He eyes me suspiciously. I sigh and wiggle my fingers and he hands it over. I examine it. It is old and there is a bit of unicorn hair poking out of the tip of the wand.

"If you agree to bring your grades up to Acceptable's and Exceeding Expectations, I will buy you a new wand." He nods eagerly and I pull out another parchment. It is like the other one.

_**I, **__**Ronald Bilius Weasley, do swear to:**_

_****__** bring my grades as high as possible **_

_****__**With the condition of:**_

_****____**Valyn Adar Donelle Potter buying me a new wand.**_

_****__****__****__**Signed, _**_

_**I, Valyn Adar Donelle Potter, do agree to the terms listed.**_

_**Signed, Valyn Adar Donelle Potter**_

When he signs, the same thing as before happens. The light flashes and I hand a copy to Ron, but keep the other.

"I have one last deal to make with you."

"I am listening." I nod and continue.

"I don't like your rude, loud and gross behavior. I am willing to make another contract. If you use the purebred manners that your mother taught you, I will get you tickets to the next 10 Chudley Cannon quidditch games. All you have to do is agree to my terms." I hand him the paper. This is going to be the hardest part. I want him to agree to these terms.

_****__**I, **__**Ronald Bilius Weasley, do swear to:**_

_****__****__** use my proper Purebred manners that I have been taught when I am in public (that does not apply in the Gryffindor Common room)**_

_****__****__** I will strive to be more thoughtful of the people around me**_

_**I will apologize to the now Slytherin whose name I insulted on the train**_

_**I will be polite to the Slytherins unless I have been given a proper reason not to (the reason will have to be approved by Valyn Adar Donelle Potter before I will be rude)**_

_**With the condition of:**_

_**Valyn Adar Donelle Potter gifting me with tickets to the next 10 Chudley Cannon games**_

_**Signed, _**_

_**I, Valyn Adar Donelle Potter, do agree to the terms listed.**_

_**Signed, Valyn Adar Donelle Potter**_

Ronald's face turns red as he reads the parchment, so I prepare myself for an argument. He looks at me incredulously.

"You want me to apologize to that slimy snake, Draco Malfoy!" He shouts and I freeze. Draco Malfoy. How long has it been since I have heard that name? Since I was 9. I remember the day I first met him.

* * *

_**Flashback (7 years ago - 1985 - She is 4 years old)**_

* * *

_I swing back and forth on the swing in the park. _

_I rock back and forth on the swing in the park. My head is down and I am watching the park from under my eyelashes. There is a family in the park. They are very beautiful. The mom has blond hair and blue eyes. Her husband also has blond hair, only he has silver eyes. Their son has hair so blond it is almost white and he has silver eyes. They have been coming to the park since last week. I haven't let them see me. I am hidden._

_I perk up as one of Dudley's friends sneaks into the park. Usually no one comes in the park after the family arrives. It is a bit odd, but as long as I get to the park before the family does, I can get in no problem. The boy's name is Gordon. He is dressed head to toe in dark colors and he is acting really sneaky. A look at the family shows they haven't noticed him. He sneaks over to them. I notice his eyes are glued to the lady's purse. I frown. _

_Normally, I wouldn't care, but this family seems different. They...have something...more. Something more than...everyone. I narrow my eyes and smirk. Caught you. I get up and go over to Gordon. I am swift and I get to him before he even gets to the purse. I drop my **wish **__and just walk right beside him. The moron doesn't even notice me. I walk quietly beside him and when we get to the family, I smile sweetly and raise a finger to my lips. _

_The mother nods and pulls the little boy closer to her. I wait until Gordon reaches down for the purse and then I strike. I grip his wrist in my hand and I tighten my hand. He yelps and looks at me. I lower my head and look at him from under my lashes and smile sweetly._

_"Now, now Gordon. We wouldn't want to do that. Now, would we?" His eyes widen at my silky sweet, but undeniably dangerous voice. He shakes his head frantically and I raise my other hand and gently stroke the side of his face. "Let go of the purse Gordon." I infuse my voice with my **wish** that he will listen to me, and he does as I say. The purse drops from his hand and his eyes stay glued to mine. "Apologize to the kind lady, Gordon." He turns slowly to the family and apologizes before turning back to me._

_I drop his wrist and my eyes flare icy cold. When I speak, my voice matches my eyes._

_"Leave this park Gordon. Don't come back." He pales and runs away, glancing back and falling down a couple of times. I watch him until he leaves, then I look down and grab the purse. I turn to the lady and hand it to her silently before I turn and start to leave._

_"What is your name?" I turn to her and survey her quietly. She seems shaken as she meets my dark forest green and silver eyes. I smile softly but don't answer. It doesn't deter her._

_"My name is Narcissa Malfoy. This is my husband, Lucius Malfoy and my son, Draco Malfoy. Will you stay and talk with us." I look at her and her husband before shaking my head._

_"You don't want to speak to my son?" I nod. I do want to talk to her son, but I don't trust the adults. She seems to pick up on that._

_"What if my son comes back tomorrow with a baby-sitter. Not an adult, not even us?" I cock my head to the side and eye her. I smile sweetly and nod my head. "Will 13 be young enough?" I shake my head and frown. "How about 11?" I shake my head again and hold up 8 fingers. "8 years old?" I nod. That is young enough I wouldn't have to worry about them, and old enough they wouldn't worry about sending their son off with. __"Okay, my son will be here tomorrow at 3:00 with his baby sitter. The name will be Marcus Flint. He has recently turned 8." I nod and smile._

_I turn and walk away. I get to the very edge of the clearing and I feel something holding me back. I look at the family. "I can let you through in a moment." The man-Lucius says, but I smirk and shake my head. I turn back to the 'wall' around the clearing and raise my hands. I lightly push against the resistance and a light shimmers all around the clearing. It is like there is a wall surrounding us inside this park. I close my eyes and **wish **my way through. I go to the other side and look at the family. The father seems to be in a state of shock. I giggle and wave before I turn away and leave._

* * *

I went back to the park the next day. Draco and I didn't like each other at first, but eventually I started liking him. I didn't realize it until another one of Dudley's friends tried to bully him. I knew Draco could take care of himself, but I still stood in front of him and protected him. After that, we were friends. About six months after that, he showed up at the park with two other people. They were called Theodore Nott and Blaize Zabini. Draco didn't like having to share my attention, but we all got along. The four of us were inseparable. We liked Marcus too. At first, we were just manipulating him, but then we grew to like him. We were all friends. Then when I turned 9, a few days later, they didn't show up at our park. They just disappeared. I often wonder if I just made them up in my head. One day, they were there for me. The next, they were gone.

* * *

"I am not going to apologize to him!" I snap back to the present. Ronald. Contracts. Right, time to get to work. I sigh.

"What is your full name?"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley." I snicker at his name and his face goes red. "Well, at least my name is better than your's! What kind of name is Valyn Adar Donelle Potter anyways?!" I stop snickering and I grin.

"First off, there is no word 'anyways' it is just 'anyway.' Second, you got really mad when I made fun of your name! Gee, I wonder why? Not only did you get mad, but you lashed out at me and made fun of me!" I grin as comprehension dawns on his face. "That sounds like what Draco Malfoy did on the train. Perhaps if you hadn't made fun of his name, he wouldn't have made fun of you. Tell you what, if you apologize for what you did wrong, I will get you _and_ your family tickets for the next World Cup. **And,** they will be for the Top Box. What do you say?" Without a word, Ronald signs the paper.

The light flares and I hand him his copy and put away mine.

"Great! When I go to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get my wand and school stuff, you will go with me to get your stuff." Ronald nods and leaves. I turn to Harry. "Sorry bro, it had to be done. I don't want you picking up any bad habits. And besides, all I did was make him a better person." Harry sighs and nods.

"I know, Twin."

* * *

_**September 26th - 1991 (Hogwarts Infirmary)**_

* * *

"Ready to go?" Sevi asks sternly. I look at Ronald and I nod. Remus runs in just before we are about to leave.

"Wait! I am here!" I snicker. His robes are on backward and he has his socks on his hands."What?" He looks down and blushes in embarrassment. "Sorry." He mumbles. He quickly fixes his clothes and nods. I turn away so he doesn't see me laughing at him. Harry leans on me as he laughs too. "Alright! Let's get going." Remus says quickly but I notice his eyes are gleaming with laughter.

I smirk and nudge Harry in the side. "How much you wanna bet I already have them wrapped around my delicate little fingers?" I wiggle my fingers in his face and he swats my hand away, fake mad. I look up and Remy is watching us with an eyebrow raised. I squeak and duck behind Harry. As we pass him, I stiffen, but to my surprise, he only rests his hand gently on my head as we walk.

* * *

"Wow!" The Alley is beautiful. All the witches and wizards walking around, it is amazing. I keep turning my head as we walk down the Alley. Harry snickers at me but I just keep looking around. There is a lot of shops and I can't stop looking around. When we reach the tall snowy imposing building of Gringotts, my mouth drops open.

I slowly climb the steps and stop right in front of the big doors. A goblin reaches forward and opens the door for me. I look at him. He has long fingers, a short beard, a narrow nose and sharp beady eyes. It doesn't deter me.

"Thank you." He stares at me in shock and I giggle as I walk past him. The ceilings are high and impressive. It is amazing. I clutch Sevi's robes as I look around so I don't get lost. I almost trip over his robes as I am too busy staring around at the building. I look up and he has an eyebrow raised. I blush and sheepishly let go. We walk over to the tellers desk.

The goblin is examining a huge stack of emeralds the size of a baseball. He looks up at us and sets it to the side.

"How may I help you?" His voice is deep and gravely. Sevi starts to answer, but I straighten my shoulders and step in front of him. I raise my chin and smile polity, neutral mask firmly in place. Now is not the time to be acting the child.

"Hello. My name is Valyn Adar Donelle Potter and I would appreciate if I could meet my account manager." I watch carefully as the goblin surveys me in turn. It is clear I have thrown him off with my respectful tone. Among the books Harry got me, he picked up one on goblins. Normally goblins are treated with disdain at best, scum at worst.

"Key, please." I hand my key over so he can examine it. He spends almost as much time examining they key as he does me. I keep my polite smile on my face as I wait for him to confirm it is my key. "Very well, if you would follow me?" He glances at my companions. "They will have to stay."

"This is my twin, and these are my godfathers. Are they allowed to come with me?" The goblin surveys them.

"Who is that one?" He points at Ronald.

"That is one of my brothers friends, Ronald Weasley." He nods.

"He will not be allowed to follow." I step forward.

"Perhaps he could wait outside of the room in a waiting room?" The goblins eyes narrow. In the book, I read that goblins do have waiting rooms, but it is rare that a wizard is offered the room, and as such, not many know about them.

"Very well, if you would follow me?" I nod and we follow. I walk with my head high, shoulders back and a neutral expression on my face. Twin speeds up and we fall into our natural rhythm. We walk perfectly in sync, and Harry copies my walking, and the mask. We make the perfect image of Pure-blooded twins. With the exception of my clothes. I am wearing green pants that hang low on my hips, a white cami, a black, white and green varsity jacket, my dagger bracelet, my skull necklace, my twin ouroboros necklace, my watch and my green beanie. I just brushed my hair and left it hanging down. My hair is silky after I washed it and the light shimmers over my green and purple streaked/tip-dipped hair.

After the goblin leads Ronald to his waiting room, we are led to an office with the name Fiercefang on it. The goblin knocks three times, pauses and knocks three more times. The door swings open silently. Twin and I step into the room and come to a stop in front of the desk. The goblin looks up.

"Valyn and Harrison Potter. Please sit." Harry and I sit, Sevi and Remus sit in the chairs against the back wall. "Ms. Potter, you are here to learn about your vaults?" I nod. "First off, have you been getting your bank statements we have been sending you since you have turned 11?" I narrow my eyes.

"I have not." The goblin nods. He pulls out a dagger, a bowl and a piece of parchment.

"If you would prick your finger and allow three drops of blood to fall on the parchment." I take the dagger and prick my finger. As the blood touches the paper, words swirl across the paper. When it finishes, I look to the goblin. He gestures for me to pick up the paper. I nod and start to read.

**_Name: _**_Valyn Adar Donelle Potter_

**_Parents: _**_James Charlus Potter and Lily Claudia Potter nee Evan_

**_Godmother(s): _**_Alice Longbottom nee Burke _

**_Godfather(s): _**_Severus Tobias Snape/Remus Lupin-Black(not official godfather)_

**_Heiress to: _**

_The House of Lupin_

_The House of Snape_

_The Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter_

_The Noble and Most Ancient House of Prince_

_The Most Noble and Ancient House of Peverell_

_The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black_

**_Abilities (born with) (awoken): _**

_Parseltonge (through the Peverell line)_

_****__Abilities (born with) (Not Awoken): _

___Animagus (through the Potter line)_

_Fire element (through the Potter line)_

_**Abilities (gifted) (Awoken):** _

_Metamorphmagus (through the Black Heir Blood acceptation ritual - Full Ability)_

_**Abilities (gifted) (Not awoken):** _

_Dueling__ (through both the Potter Line and the Black Line)_

_Runic Magic (through the Prince line)_

_Ice element (sub-category of water)_

**_Vaults (Access to): _**

_Valyn Potter's Trust Vault (allowed to take anything out of vault)_

_Potter Family Vault (not allowed to take money out until of age or Parent agrees)_

_Lupin Family Vault (not allowed to __take money out until of age or Godparent agrees)_

___Prince Family Vault (__not allowed to __take money out until of age or Godparent agrees)_

_______Snape Family Vault (not allowed to take money out until of age or Godparent agrees)_

_______Peverell Family Vault (could take Head of House position)_

_______Black Family Vault (__not allowed to __take money out until of age or current Head of House agrees)_

I sit back in shock.

"Huh. Well that changes things." Harry snickers.

"Is it possible for me to get one of these?" Harry asks, pointing at my sheet. The goblin nods and pulls out another sheet. Harry pricks his finger and we watch as his finishes. It is pretty much the sames as mine.

**_Name: _**_Harrison James Potter_

**_Parents: _**_James Charlus Potter and Lily Claudia Potter nee Evan_

**_Godmother(s): _**_Alice Longbottom nee Burke _

**_Godfather(s): _**_Sirius Black_

**_Heir to: _**

_The Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter_

_The Most Noble and Ancient House of Peverell_

_The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black_

**_Abilities (born with) (awoken): _**

_Parseltonge (through the Peverell line)_

_Air element (through the Potter line)_

_**Abilities (born with) (Not Awoken): **_

___Animagus (through the Potter line)_

_**Abilities (gifted) (Awoken):** _

_Metamorphmagus (through the Black Heir Blood acceptation ritual - Partial Ability)_

_**Abilities (gifted) (Not awoken):**_

_Water element (through the Black line)_

_Dueling__ (through both the Potter Line and the Black Line)_

**_Vaults (Access to): _**

_Harrison Potter's Trust Vault (allowed to take anything out of vault)_

_Potter Family Vault (not allowed to take money out until of age or Parent agrees)_

_Peverell Family Vault (could take Head of House position)_

_______Black Family Vault (__not allowed to __take money out until of age or current Head of House agrees)_

"Where does the Prince line come from?" I ask curiously.

"That was from my mother's side." Sevi answers. I nod, that is why Harry doesn't have it on his list.

"What about the Peverell line?" This time it is the goblin that answers.

"That line was thought to have died out. The Peverell line is the original Potter line. You are descended from the youngest Peverell brother, Ignotus Peverell." I nod.

"Why does Harry only have partial Metamorphmagus abilities and I have full?"

"Your blood has more potential from the Black line for that gift. Your brother's blood has more potential for the Water element from the Black line, which is why he received it and you did not."

"In my trust vault, how much money do I have?"

"Enough to get you through all of your school years as well as beyond." I sit back in shock. I look at twin and I grin. "Hear that Twin? Ha! If the Dursley's could see us now!" Harry snickers and we high five.

* * *

"Alright!" I cheer, as I stare at the huge piles of money in my vault. "This is awesome!" I walk in the vault. All I can see is gleaming piles of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. It is pretty amazing to have gone from penniless to...all of this.

"Why do you have more money than I do?" Harry asks curiously. I search the bond, but there is no jealousy. Just as well, we are twins and we share everything. I shrug.

"It is because I put money in her vault every year along with Lupin and your parents." I turn to Sevi.

"Why?" He frowns.

"Because you are our goddaughter." I look away as I feel tears welling in my eyes. It feels unbelievably amazing to hear that possessiveness in his voice. To know that I am wanted. I give him a sincere smile and before I can chicken out, I hug him. I pull away before he can react and turn to the Fiercefang.

"How am I going to get the money I need?" He pulls out a velvety pouch.

"This is the pouch that we give to our customers. It cost an extra 25 Galleons but you can take as much money as you want out of it as long as the money you are taking is in your vault." I nod.

"Would that be an extra 25 Galleons a month or just a one time thing?" Fiercefang gives me a toothy grin.

"That would be 25 Galleons a month." I nod. It would be useful.

"Would it prevent pickpockets from stealing it?"

"Yes." I nod in approval.

"I will take two. The second one will be wired to my twins account though." Fiercefang hands me my pouch and the other to my brother.

"Will that be all?" I nod.

"For me it is." Fiercefang nods and we go back to the cart. I grin and hop in. Harry and Remus match my grin, but Ronald and Severus do not. I lean forward. "Can this cart go faster?" Fiercefang grins nastily and when we take off, it is even faster than before. I whoop and toss my arms in the air. Ronald looks like he is about to puke. I laugh aloud in pure exhilaration.

"You think that was fun? Wait until I teach you how to ride a broom!" I grin at Twin as we head out of the bank.

"Where to?" I ask Sevi.

"Madam Malkin's." When we walk in, I notice it is light and airy.

"How may I help you?" A kind looking lady bustles over to us.

"Hello. I would like a new wardrobe. One for myself, one for my brother and one for Ronald." She looks us over and nods.

"This way, dears." We spend the next few minutes getting poked and prodded at while they took our measurements. I am lost in thought when I feel Nagini move in my jacket. Crap. If they find out about Nagini, they might freak. Uh! Now I have to be all snotty and haughty. I mentally prepare myself with a deep breath. I narrow my eyes and sneer.

"Excuse me?" I say icily. "But could you _please_ hurry up? I do have other more important things to do!" I snap. They pull back and hurry as quick as they can. I can finally step off the stool and hurry away. I slip a hand in my jacket and stroke Nagini's scales. She stills and I turn back to Harry and Ron. They are still on the stools. Harry watches me with knowing eyes. I already told him all about Nagini. I just didn't tell him I was going to bring her with us. Oops.

I wait by the door until Harry and Ron are finished.

"You may come back in 4 hours for your robes. All of them will be done by then."

"Thank you." I smile and hand her the payment, ignoring Harry's protests. I turn and leave. I tune out Harry's complaining as we head over to Potage's Cauldron shop. I am only supposed to get a pewter cauldron, but under Sevi's guidance, I buy their Brass size 2 cauldron for 21 galleons along with the copper size 2, the pewter size 2 and the silver size 2 cauldrons. They are all self-stirring and collapsible.

That done, we head over to the Apothecary. I get the standard pack for first years and a few extra ingredients. We go over to Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment. I get my brass and silver scales for weighing potions ingredients, a brass telescope, crystal and glass phials to hold the potions I make, a moon and star chart for Astronomy, and a globe of the moon. That was pretty expensive (13 galleons) but I thought it could be useful. And if it isn't, I can always sell it to someone else at Hogwarts.

Next, we go to Flourish and Blotts so I can pick up a few more books that I wanted. I only left because Harry was the only one brave enough to pull me away. We went to Gambol and Japes next. The only reason we were allowed to go into the Joke shop was because I begged Severus and Remus to go in. They were very reluctant but eventually let us but only under the condition that Sevi didn't have to go in.

I got a bunch of stuff. It was so cool in there. We stopped at Eeylops's Owl Emporium & Magical Menagerie so I could get a few treats for Adalric. Sevi and Remy were quick to assure me that he was safe and well fed with the other owls at Hogwarts. After that we went to the South side of Diagon Alley. They had a bunch of shops there too. They had the Daily Prophet office, Wizz Hard books (that I wasn't allowed to go into), a second-hand robes shop, Obscurus book store (that I also couldn't go into) Twilfitt and Tattings and Ollivanders. That was the only store we went into.

Severus opened the door for us and we all filed in silently. Harry was right, the air really does whisper of magic. I flare my magic out in an attempt to find Ollivander. There. I pinpoint him lurking in the corner of his shop. I turn in his direction and smile.

"Hello Mr. Ollivander." Harry and Ronald startle next to me. I snicker before holding out my hand to the queer man. He slowly comes out of the shadow and fixes his eerie moon-silver eyes upon me.

"Valyn Potter. I was wondering when you would appear in my shop." His eyes linger upon mine. "Strange, that you would have eyes like those. True born, never changed. Hmmm." He turns away from me and wanders into the back of his shop. He appears with several boxes piled in his arms. "Here we are. Oak and unicorn hair, twelve inches, nice and swishy." I wave it and a vase explodes. He quickly snatches it back and hands me another.

"Alder, dragon heartstring-" I barely get a chance to take the wand when he whips it away and hands me another.

"Apple, unicorn hair-"

"Cherry and phoenix feather." I take the wand and feel a curious shiver from the wand. "It seems you are rather favorable for a phoenix feather. Let me get a few more wands that have those." After a few more minutes of trying, Ollivander stops. "Follow me. It seems we must have a custom wand made for you." I nod and follow, sending reassurance through the bond to Harry.

The back room is quiet, cramped and rather dusty. Ollivander moves me to the middle of the room. He opens a cabinet that has different woods in it and a stand with various possible wand cores in it. He turns to me.

"I want you to close your eyes and go to your magical core. Then, walk to the cabinet with the wood. When the wood feels 'right' I want you to let me know. Then go to the cabinet and do the same." I nod and close my eyes. It only takes seconds for me to find my magical core. It is violet with streaks of emerald green, silver and black.

The violet represents the fantasy world, and a need to escape from the practicalities of life. Violet promotes harmony of the mind and the emotions, contributing to mental balance and stability, and peace of mind. The color violet inspires unconditional and selfless love, violet encourages creative pursuits and seeks inspiration and originality through creative endeavors. It likes to be unique, individual and independent, not one of the crowd.

The green is different in my magical core. There are different shades and I can feel what they mean. The green in my magic means growth, harmony and a strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. (Something I now have a lot of.) The green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is associated with ambition, and the olive green means I am at peace.

The black is partly because of the abuse Twin and I have suffered. It means fear. Our whole lives we have lived in fear and that has imprinted itself on my magic. Black means power, elegance, formality, and mystery. Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color. Combined with very powerful colors, black gives a very aggressive color scheme.

The silver in my magic represents illumination because silver opens the mind and lights the way forward. It reflects back the energy sent out, whether that energy is positive or negative and silver is seen as glamorous and sophisticated. It is related to the femininity of the moon's energy, sensitive, emotional and fluid. It can be seen as calming and soothing; its gentle and comforting qualities relate to the sensitivity of the moon's cycle of ebb and flow. But my silver isn't all good. Living as I did at the Dursley's wasn't going to leave me perfectly normal. The color silver can show the colorless energy. It can lead to negative feelings of coldness, something I struggle with a lot. Silver also means responsible. Silver is respectable and courteous, mature and determined, wise and organized. Somethings that I will have to learn to become.

I take a deep breath and delve into my magic. I smile involuntarily as my body feels refreshed and alive. I have to hold my magic back a lot or more things would happen to get my Twin and I in trouble. It feels good to have my magic rushing wild in my body. I open my eyes, relaxed and walk over to the cabinet with the wood in it. My magic is drawn to the ebony, cedar, acacia, ash, dogwood, and horn-beam wood but the strongest pull is towards the Vine-wood and the Fir-wood.

"The Vine-wood and the Fir-wood." I walk over to the cabinet with he wand cores in it. My magic wants a clear liquid in a crystal phial, dragon heartstring, and a black and silver phoenix feather. But like before, the strongest pull is to a strange sort of hair.

"This one." I point at it.

"So your wand will be made of Vine-wood, Fir-wood and hair from a Thestral. This is a powerful wand you will carry." I nod and look at him.

"I want it made so that only I can touch, pick up and cast spells with my wand. I don't want anyone else using my wand." He nods before bowing me out of the room.

"The wand will be ready in a hour." I nod and we leave.

"May we stop at a book store?" I ask Remus. He hesitates but because we have an hour to wait for my wand and another hour to wait for the clothes, he agrees. When we get to Flourish and Blotts, I hurry over to the section about wand making. I almost don't find what I need, the book is so thin. I pull it out. The cover is black with faded silver words on it.

_Wand Cores, Wand Wood and Wand Lengths_

_by_

_Ollivander_

I settle down in a chair and crack open the book. I start at the top. I felt a draw to ebony, cedar, acacia, ash, dogwood, and horn-beam wood but the strongest pull is towards the Vine-wood and the Fir-wood. I start with the two woods that suited me best.

_**Vine**_

_The druids considered anything with a woody stem as a tree, and vine makes wands of such a special nature that I have been happy to continue their ancient tradition. Vine wands are among the less common types, and I have been intrigued to notice that their owners are nearly always those witches or wizards who seek a greater purpose, who have a vision beyond the ordinary and who frequently astound those who think they know them best. Vine wands seem strongly attracted by personalities with hidden depths, and I have found them more sensitive than any other when it comes to instantly detecting a prospective match. Reliable sources claim that these wands can emit magical effects upon the mere entrance into their room of a suitable owner, and I have twice observed the phenomenon in my own shop._

I look up. That is interesting. This wands seems to fit my personality very well. I flip back a few pages and find Fir.

_**Fir**_

_My august grandfather, Gerbold Octavius Ollivander, always called wands of this wood 'the survivor's wand,' because he had sold it to three wizards who subsequently passes through mortal peril unscathed. There is no doubt that this wood, coming as it does from the most resilient of trees, produces wands that demand staying power and strength of purpose in their true owners, and that they are poor tools in the hands of the changeable and indecisive. Fir wands are particularly suited to Transfiguration, and favour owners of focused, strong-minded and, occasionally, intimidating demeanour._

I like it. I glance at the clock. It is time to go. I to the checkout.

"How much for this book?" I hold it up.

"51 Galleons." I frown. That is a lot.

"Why?"

"Because it is the only book ever written by Ollivander. There have only been 5 copies in the world. 1 is owned by a Russian politician, another is owned by the Malfoy's, another the Black's, one copy was burned and the copy you are holding is the last available copy." I sigh and take out the money. "Have a nice day!" She calls after me.

"Did you get any books?" Harry asks.

"Yep, a really rare one. I'll let you see it when we get back to Hogwarts." Harry nods and we go back to Madame Malkin's. We get our clothes before we head back to Ollivanders. I glance at my watch. It is 4:05.

"After we get my wand, can we go to the Leaky Cauldron and get something to eat?" I ask Severus. He glances down at me and meats my pleading gaze.

"If we must." I grin and hug him before dropping back to tell Harry and Ronald.

"After we get my wand, we are getting something to eat." Then I turn around and look at Ronald. "What kind of wand did you get?" He eyes me nervously as he answers.

"I, um, got an Aspen, unicorn hair, 12 inches and slightly swishy." I look at him thoughtfully. I will have to keep him close, owners of the Aspen wand usually have an amazing talent for dueling. Besides, I can keep him close because Harry likes him. We reach Olivanders and I let everyone go inside first. As soon as I enter the shop, my wand shoots out sparks. I grin. My wand has a handsome dark brown shine to it. There is an intricate handle and grooves where my fingers fit. I pick up my wand and my magic rushes through me. I hear a bird song and my wand emits silver and green sparks. I grin, the magic in the air is making me dizzy.

I turn to Ollivander.

"May I buy 9 holsters from you? The best kind you have." Ollivander nods and pulls out 9. I pay for them and hand one to Severus, Remus, Ron and two to Harry. I put 3 in my bag and hook my one holster on my right forearm. I practice flicking my wand into my hand until I get it perfect. I grin, the magic is still in the air and I am reluctant to leave.

* * *

After we leave the Leaky Cauldron, I turn to Remus.

"Would it be okay if I stop at the bank one last time. I want to go into the Potter Family Vault." He glances at Severus before nodding. Harry and I walk side by side as we head down the street to the bank. I have never really noticed how alike Harry I are. It is kind of hard not to notice other people's reactions though. They glance at us before doing double takes and looking back. Harry and I side by side is odd for most people. We are mirror images at first.

As we get to the doors at the bank, I turn to Severus, Remus and Ronald.

"We can do this on our own." I don't give them a chance to respond before I grab Harry's arm and we go into the bank. I quickly find Griphook, the goblin that took us to Fiercefang earlier. "May you please take us to our account manager?" I ask politely. He looks at me before turning back to his current customer.

"If you will give me a moment, Lord Malfoy, I will be back." I do a double-take and whip my head around. Sure enough it is Draco's father. He is just like I remembered. He oozes strength and charm. I blush a little as his eyes sweep over my twin and I. I straighten and cast him a disinterested glance that makes his eyes sharpen with interest. Pureblood masks on, Harry and I follow Griphook.

"How may I help you?" I walk to the desk and sit down.

"May we please visit the Potter Family Vault and the Black family Vault?" Fierefang's eyes sharpen.

"You do know that you cannot take money out of those Vaults, correct?" I grin.

"But that is not the only thing in the Vaults, is it?" For a moment, I think I have insulted him. But he gets up and takes us to the carts, approval in his eyes. When we stop at the Potter Vault I go right in. I search and find what I am looking for. It is several shelves full of wands. I turn to twin.

"We don't know for sure that Voldemort is gone, so we need to be prepared." I take out my holsters and put one on my left forearm, my right ankle and my left ankle. I gesture to the wands. "Run your hands over the wands. When one feels right, pick it up. You want to find one that feels close to what you felt when you found your first wand."

"Okay." Harry looks dubiously at the wands before trying it. He picks up one and it spits out sparkles. "This one." I grin.

"Put it in your other holster." Harry does so. "And the best thing about these holsters, is you can wish them invisible. Try it." Harry turns them invisible and grins at me.

"Now you."

"Okay." I run my hands down the row of wands. I feel a pull to one and pick it up. It gives me a warm feeling. I look at the sign. It is a Acacia and Ash combination wand with the core of a Horntail dragon heart-string. I put it in the holster on my left ankle. Then I run my hands down the shelf. I don't get any pulls, so I just run my hands on the second shelf. Nothing. I stand up."Okay, Twin. We have to go to the Black Family Vault."

"Will I get anymore?" I nod.

"There are always more holsters in both vaults. If you find another wand that is a match, I am sure you will find it." Harry nods.

"Okay." It isn't long until we are at the Black Vault. This time, Harry leads us in. We go right over to the shelf. I let my magic loose and two wands fly into my hands. One is Ebony and Cedar with a core of Basilisk venom. The other is Dogwood and Hornbeam with a core of a storm phoenix feather. I grin. Storm Phoenix's are super rare. I put the one with Basilisk venom in my right ankle holster and the one with the feather in my left forearm holster. I turn to Harry.

"Find any?" He shakes his head. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." We leave and go to meet Severus and Remus.

"Are you done?" Severus asks when we get out. Harry and I exchange secretive glances and grin at each other.

"Yup!" We reply in perfect unison.

* * *

_**September 27th - 1991 (Hogwarts Infirmary)**_

* * *

I spend all day reading my books and practicing my spells. That night, before dinner, I pick up Nagini and arrange her on my chest. Yesterday when we went to Diagon Alley, I 'found' her in an alley. I begged Severus and Remus to keep her and they finally relented. She was 'hurt' and I really wanted to keep her. They finally said yes. They think she is a small harmless snake. I am going to have to keep her in her small size when I am around people unless I can get them to sign a contract or something.

I breath in. Adalric swivels his head around to look at me. I managed to get Madam Pomfrey to let him stay with me. I am a bit nervous. Tonight I will be getting sorted. I am a bit scared. I know without a doubt that I will be going into Slytherin. There is no other option for me. I wrote a list to try and see and everything points to be being Slytherin. I pick up my list and review it again.

_**Hogwarts Sorting - Houses**_

_**Hufflepuff Qualities**_

_Trusting - Not a chance_

_Hard Working - Can do that, but it has literally been beaten into me_

_Loyal - you have to earn my loyalty, I don't just give it away_

**_Conclusion:_**

_Not Hufflepuff material_

**_Gryffindor Qualities_**

_Brave - I know the difference between bravery and stupidity_

_Chivalrous - can be, but I would rather manipulate to get my way and that isn't very 'chivalrous'_

**_Conclusion:_**

_Not Gryffindor material_

**_Ravenclaw Qualities _**

_Smart - Without a doubt_

_Wise - Yeah right_

_Studious - only because I have to be_

_School oriented - could be_

**_Conclusion:_**

_There is a chance but it wouldn't be a very high one_

**_Slytherin Qualities_**

_Sly - yup_

_Manipulative - Um, have you met me?_

_Cunning - Without a doubt_

_Smart - Duh_

_Ambitious - Yes_

**_Conclusion_**

_Chance of becoming a Slytherin? - Highly __likely_


	10. Chapter 10: Finally Sorted

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: **All outfits are on my profile.** A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

A/N: _Italics is Valyn using her eyes and body language to convey her message to her twin, and Italics with underline is Harry_ responding. The twins cannot read each others minds, they are just in tune with each other and knowing each others feelings helps them figure out what the other twin is trying to 'say.' I repeat, **THEY CAN'T READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS!  
**

Reviews are always appreciated!

I would just like to send a thank you to my newest follower(s)/fav(s): Tinapaple and pokefan-93! You guys make me happy when you fave and follow my story!

The welcome speech in my story is not mine. I got it from Pottermore because I was also Sorted into this house. That is part of the reason Valyn will be Sorted into this house. Also, the other girl names that may seem unfamiliar, I would like to assure you that they do exist in canon!HP so no bashing about OC's.

I HAVE CHANGED A FEW THINGS!

Now that I have your attention. I have Quirrel back because I have a good idea for him in their second year. Not much has changed, I have just cut him out of the story for now.

_:Parseltongue:_

**Chapter 10:**

* * *

**__****September 27th - 1991 (Hogwarts Infirmary)**

* * *

"Ready to go?" I take a deep breath and turn around and face Remus. I am in my plain Hogwarts robes. I leave my hat off. I don't need it. Remus steps forward, a kind look on his face. "No matter what house you go into, you will always be my cub. I will always stand by you." I lower my head.

"Even if I am a Slytherin?" He smiles and gets down on one knee.

"Even then. But you must remember, you won't know for sure-" I silently hand him the paper. His eyes widen and he chuckles. "Your mother always makes lists when she is nervous too." He reads the paper. "You could get into Ravenclaw." I shake my head. "Why not?" I take a deep breath and explain.

"Even if the Hat wants to sort me into Ravenclaw, I will argue for Slytherin." He waits patiently for me to explain. "Ravenclaw sounds like it is all book lovers. All people that study, study, study. I don't want to go into a house where I can fall into a rhythm. I want to be challenged. My whole life it has been the same thing day after day. I don't care if the Slytherins hate me. I can change their mind. I want to go to a place where I have to work to belong but once I belong, I am forever in the group. I don't want people to be my friends just because my brother is the Boy-Who-Lived and they want to be his friend. I want to make friendships that I have to work for. I don't-all my life I have seen Dudley get things handed to him without him having to work for them. I guess what I want is to be different from people like Dudley. I don't want things handed to me on a silver platter. I want to work for what I get. That is the only way I will be able to appreciate what I have."

"You really are a smart and wise girl." He pulls me into a hug. "Even if you go into Slytherin, I will still love you. I promise. And Severus will be ecstatic! His goddaughter in Slytherin! You will have both of us, and I have no doubt that Harry will stand by you no matter what as well." I grin.

"You think so?" He shakes his head.

"I don't think so, I know so." I grin and hug him.

"Okay, I am ready." He stands up and we go into the hallway. As we are walking, he points out things for me to notice.

"And that was where James hexed a Ravenclaw that insulted your mother. She got so mad at him though. She insisted she didn't want him fighting her battles for him." I grin.

"That sounds like me." He runs a hand through my hair.

"I don't doubt it." I smile as we reach the doors to the entrance of the Dining Hall. My smile fades as I look at the intimidating double doors. Remus turns me to look at him.

"Remember, you will always have Severus, your twin and I by your side. Always." I nod and straighten my shoulders. I hold my head high and pull up my neutral expression. I look at Remus.

"Ready." I drawl smoothly. Remus surveys me before he nods and opens the doors. As the doors swing open, all of the noise in the great hall fades. All eyes are on us. Startled gasps sweep through the hall and I have to work hard to make sure I don't show my anxiety. I shove my fear down as Twin sends me encouragement. I walk forward and Remus follows. My walk is smooth and unconcerned. I make sure to project a confident, if removed image.

I notice the Hufflepuff table is on the far left of the great hall, then it is the Gryffindor table, the Ravenclaw table and then the Slytherin table on the far right. I walk in between the Gryffindor table and the Ravenclaw table all the way to the Head table. I keep my eyes straight ahead until I reach Twin. When I reach him, he holds out a hand and I briefly press my palm to his. That encourages a whole new wave of whispering and people craning to look at Twin and I. Twin sends cheer and I smirk.

I won't have to worry about him. He knows me. I know me. There is no doubt we will stick by each other. I walk up the steps that lead to the head table and nod respectfully at Professor McGonagall. She gives me a small smile, a fond look in her eyes. I look up at the Head table. Dumbledore is up their in ghastly yellow robes that make me want to rip my eyes out. I roll my eyes and move on. I don't bother to look at the left side of the Head table. The only side of the table I care about is the right side.

The spot directly to the right of Dumbledore is empty, that is Professor McGonagall's seat. I move my eyes to the next spot. Severus sits there. He nods at me and I tilt my chin proudly. Remus sits next to him, then Harry's godfather Sirius, then my...father, then my mother. I feel confused as I notice she has three kids around her. The oldest look like they are around 7 and they look like they are twins. The other little girl looks like she is around 2. It clicks in my mind. She had more kids. I feel a flash of anger and I turn to Professor McGonagall before I do something hasty. She nods to me and raises the scroll to read my name off of it.

"Potter, Valyn." A whole knew wave of whispering erupts from the four Houses. I feel a flash of confusion from Harry before I shut him out. I tense when the Hat drops on my head.

"_**Hello, Valyn. What a difference your mind is from your brother. Your dark to his light. You truly are the twins that will raze this world to the ground and rise it anew better than it ever has been before.**_" I smirk and cross one leg over the other.

"_I hate to break it to you Hat, but world domination is a bit of a cliche and I don't do cliches. I leave that to the losers that are too stupid and a tad too obvious in their efforts to 'take over' the world._" I hear a ghostly chuckle from the hat.

"_**My, my! The wit and sarcasm of a Slythinclaw!**_" I frown.

"_If you put me into two different Houses, there will be retribution._" The hat snickers.

"_**And what sort of retribution could you come up with- oh.**_" I smirk.

"_Yes, I didn't think you would want to be used in the Weasley's pranks or the Marauders pranks or dipped in oil, set on fire and used to set fire to the Headmasters office._"

"_**I don't think anyone would want**_** that.**" I grin.

"_True._" I agree. "_Now may we get on with the sorting?_"

"_**Certainly. ** Now-_" I cut him off.

"_Before you Sort me. What is your name?_"

"**_My_ name?**" The Hat sounds surprised. "_**My name is Aster. Helga named me. Godric, Salazar, and Rowena were all too busy arguing over my name, so Helga stepped in and named me before any of them could protest.**_" I grin.

"_It is nice to meet you Aster._"

"_**And I, you. Now, you have a bravery that would make Godric himself jealous, but you are correct, you aren't Gryffindor material. I do believe you would set the tower on fire before the week is over. You work hard and your loyalty to your brother is unlike anything I have ever seen before. That loyalty goes beyond all bonds. But...that loyalty is only extended to your twin. It has been tentatively been offered to your godfathers, but you are still holding out on them. Hufflepuff is out. Ravenclaw. You have a raven's wit, but the snake's cunning. You have the smarts of a raven as well as a snake. So here is the deciding question. Why do you value knowledge?**_" I open my mouth before closing it.

"_This will remain confidential?_"

"_**It will.**_"

"_I value knowledge because that is what will save us. Twin and I...we were clueless and that is what has always endangered our lives. I need this knowledge to keep him safe. I need this knowledge because it holds the power to make sure my other half is never torn away from me ever again. I need knowledge...because it is power and that is what will keep him alive._"

"_**I see.**_" The Hat's voice is soft. "_**Then there is only one place to put you. I wish you the best of luck, Valyn Potter. Let's make you**_** a-** SLYTHERIN!" I hop off the stool and remove the Hat from my head.

"Thank you, Aster." I whisper before handing him back to Professor McGonagall. I look up at the table. Remus beams at me, pride on his face. Severus has approval glinting in his eyes. He raises his goblet to me. I smile brightly at them before I turn to the Slytherin table. I compose myself. I don't need a mirror to know that my forest green and silver eyes are frosty, just daring someone to try something. I hold my head high, my magic tightly under leash and walk to the table. I don't let myself react when Draco, Theo and Blaize look at me with no recognition.

I just keep walking. I walk past the first years at the end of the table, past the second years and straight to the middle of the table. I sit down and ignore the incredulous glances everyone is sending me. After a moment of silence, Dumbledore stands up, a ridiculously bright grin on his face and holds his arms out as if he was hugging us all.

"Hello my students. As I was saying before our newest student got Sorted. This is Valyn Potter, the twin sister to Harry Potter. Due to unforeseen consequences, she was not given her Hogwarts letter. The matter was quickly rectified and she is now able to take her classes her at Hogwarts along with the rest of her year-mates. Please make her feel welcome. I am going to go over the rules as Valyn was not given the chance to hear them. The third floor corridor is off limits, do not go into the Forbidden Forest, and there is to be no magic in the halls. That said, As before, Professor Black will be co-teaching the DADA class with Professor Quirell. Professor Potter will be co-teaching with Professor McGonagall, Professor Evans will be co-teaching with Professor Flitwick and Professor Lupin will be co-teaching History with Professor Binns. That will be all, please, tuck in!" He holds his arms out and the food appears in the serving bowls on the tables. There is a smattering of applause and I roll my eyes. He didn't have anything to do with that. The house-elves did.

Regardless, that doesn't stop me from eating. I put some mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and steak on my plate with a small buttered roll. I eye the pumpkin juice and try a little of it. I wrinkle my nose when I taste it. Yuck. _Way _too sweet. Hmm. I narrow my eyes and tilt my head to the side. A smirk crosses my face before I clear it off and sit back.

"Hogwarts kitchen house-elf." I say loudly and clearly. I don't have to look to know the other Slytherin students are eyeing me. A second later a house elf pops up and bows.

"Yes miss?" I look at the house elf.

"What is your name?" The house elf looks faintly rattled but tells me its name. "Alright Mimsey. Might you make me a cup of fresh orange juice, lightly sweetened please." She bows and pops away. I casually eat my mash potatoes and have just moved on to my steak when Mimsey pops up again a pitcher and a glass of my orange juice.

"Here you go, Missus. May Mimsey get you anything else?" I shake my head and dab my lips clean.

"No, thank you Mimsey. That will be all." She bows and pops away. I raise my juice to my lips and hum as I swallow the perfectly made juice. I close my eyes and savor my first taste of orange juice. I smile and set my juice down before I continue eating. I am full by the time I finish my small plate and my one cup of juice. One of the so called perks of being starved all your life is you get full easily. I fold my napkin and set it down on my plate.

I pull my bag out of my pocket and press my thumb to the small key-plate. It re-sizes and I pull out my book by Ollivander. I pull out a blank journal, a quill, the ink pot that changes ink colors and re-shrink my bag before I put it back in my pocket. I open my Ollivander book. I turn to the page where I can read more about my new wands. First, I read on my Ebony and Cedar combination with the core of Basilisk Venom.

_**Ebony**_

_This jet-black wand wood has an impressive appearance and reputation, being highly suited to all manner of combative magic, and to Transfiguration. Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider, ebony wand owners have been found both among the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix and among the Death Eaters. In my experience the ebony wand's perfect match is one who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose._

I grin. Another perfect match to my personality. I pick up my quill and make a note the things that match my personality. Then I switch to reading about Cedar.

_**Cedar**_

_Whenever I meet one who carries a cedar wand, I find strength of character and unusual loyalty. My father, Gervaise Ollivander, used to say, 'you will never fool the cedar carrier,' and I agree: the cedar wand finds its perfect home where there is perspicacity and perception. I would go further than my father, however, in saying that I have never yet met the owner of a cedar wand whom I would care to cross, especially if harm is done to those of whom they are fond. The witch or wizard who is well-matched with cedar carries the potential to be a frightening adversary, which often comes as a shock to those who have thoughtlessly challenged them._

I lower the book and stare sightless at the table. It is almost uncanny how much my wands suit me. I thought that I would only ever have one wand that would suit me perfectly but so far, the two wands that I have read up on are evenly match with me. I furrow my brow. I can't help but wonder if this has ever happened to anyone else. I write down my observations in my notebook and notice a third year trying to read what I am writing. I cast him a sly grin, suddenly thankful that I had them charmed so that only I can read them. I turn back to the book. Now for my Acacia and Ash combination with the core of the heart-string of a Horntail dragon.

_**Acacia**_

_A very unusual wand wood, which I have found creates tricky wands that often refuse to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withhold their best effects from all but those most gifted. This sensitivity renders them difficult to place, and I keep only a small stock for those witches or wizards of sufficient subtlety, for acacia is not suited to what is commonly know as 'bangs-and-smells' magic. When well-matched, an acacia wand matches any for power, though it is often underrated due to the peculiarity of its temperament._

I nod thoughtfully. That sounds about right. I make my notes and flip to the page that tells me about Ash wands.

_**Ash**_

_The ash wand cleaves to its one true master and ought not to be passed on or gifted from the original owner, because it will lose power and skill. This tendency is extreme if the core is of unicorn. _

I put the book down. Ronald's wand never worked for him and the core was made of unicorn hair. It is likely the wood for the other wand he was using was ash. I note that in my book and keep reading.

_Old superstitions regarding wands rarely bear close examination, but I find that old rhyme regarding rowan, chestnut, ash and hazel wands (rowan gossips, chestnut drones, ash is stubborn, hazel moans) contains a small nugget of truth. Those witches and wizards best suited to ash wands are not, in my experience, lightly swayed from their beliefs or purposes. However, the brash or over-confident with or wizard, who often insists on trying wands of this prestigious wood, will be disappointed by its effects. The ideal owner may be stubborn, and will certainly be courageous, but never crass or arrogant._

I write my notes in my book. I notice everyone is almost finished with dessert and Dumbledore is standing up again. I sigh and glance longingly at my book but put everything away. I roll my eyes when he wants me to sing that stupid song. I stay in my seat and don't sing along. When the stupid Hogwarts song is finished, I get up with the rest of the Slytherins. I wait as there is clearly an order to which we will be leaving in. I wait until the other first years reach me before I start to walk. Just ahead of them. I am almost out the door when Harry catches up with me.

"Twin, wait up!" I sigh and come to a stop, forcing the other first years to stop as well. I turn to face him. "What is wrong?" I sigh at Harry's lack of subtlety and pull him to the side.

"I have no clue what you are talking about." He frowns.

"Then why did you shut it off?" I roll my eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me about..." I hesitate and glance around. There are a lot of people watching us. I roll my eyes again. "¿Por qué no me hablas de nuestros hermanos?"(Why didn't you tell me about our siblings?) I ask him accusingly in Spanish. That is the only other language Harry and I know.

"I-" I glare at him meaning fully so he switches languages with me. "Iba a ... pero-No quería molestarte. Pensé que te habías suficiente pasando con ... ya sabes. Ellos."(I was going to...but you-I didn't want to upset you. I thought you had enough going on with...you know. Them.) I sigh.

"Debe de todos modos me has dicho."(You still should have told me.) I lower my head. "Lo siento exageré."(I'm sorry I overreacted.) Harry smiles and shrugs.

"Está bien. Perdonado?"(It's okay. Forgiven?) I smirk.

"Sure." I reply in English and unblock the bond. Harry grins in relief. "You have to go." I gesture to the other Gryffindors waiting for him.

"Okay. Good night!" Twin rushes off to join Ronald and the other Gryffindors. I turn to leave as well but I stiffen as Draco moves forward, Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. It looks wrong. When we were friends, I stood at the front, Theo at my right shoulder, Blaize at my left and Draco always had my back. Our motto was: 'side by side, back to back. Always together, forever and ever.' It may have been a bit childish but it worked for us. Draco sneers at me.

"Trouble in paradise, Potter?" He spits out arrogantly. I just cock my head to the side and fix an unwavering look on him. It only takes a few seconds for him to back up a little. I smirk and turn around to continue my way to the Slytherin Common room. When Harry stopped me, I fixed a bit of my magic to one of the Slytherin's magic so that I would be able to follow them if I got lost. I call on my magic now to find my magic.

I fix my gaze on magic of my magic and follow the invisible trail. I make sure to look around so that I can find this place again. I need only see this place once and my eidetic mind will make sure I will never forget the way. Before long, I find myself rounding a corner and seeing a slytherin prefect (as evidence by the badge on her chest) standing in front of wall with a floor to ceiling carving on it.

The serpent writhes and swirls upon the wall. I can make out its hissing and I hide a smirk. Slytherin is going to be too easy. I bet all I would have to do is hiss at a snake in front of them and I will instantly gain respect. But at the same time, the new Professor Marvolo Gaunt-Slytherin could be a parseltongue as well seeing as he is Slytherin's descendant.

We will have to see. I come to a stop in front of the Prefect. She surveys us coldly before gesturing at the serpent on the wall.

"This is the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Remember this password because this will be the last time I will be telling you it. The password is: _Serpentem Superbia_. And for those of you who don't know, that means-"

"Serpent Pride." I mummer. She narrows her eyes on me thoughtfully.

"That is correct." She turns to the carving and says the password. The serpent writhes in a circle and the wall swings open without a sound. We follow the Prefect into the common room. The common room is not exactly what I expected. The stone walls are draped with silver, black, and green tapestries. There are elegant armchairs, chaises, and couches. The fireplace is made of silver and black marble with emerald designs of snakes. There is a fire going. The Prefect leads us over to the sitting room. I notice Sevi is lurking in the shadows behind where we will sit and cast an arrogant smirk in his direction, and get a laughing smirk in return.

I narrow my eyes as behind him, I can fell another presense lurking. I let my face fall into a blank gaze as I sit down. I sit in the armchair that is directly in the middle of the common room, so the other first years will have to sit around me. The Prefect lets her eyes flick to where Sevi is hiding before turning back to us. I smirk at her and she realizes she has been caught. I shrug innocently and she nods at me in return. Once everyone has sat down, she begins her speech.

"Congratulations! I am Prefect Gemma Farley, and I am delighted to welcome you to Slytherin House. Our emblem is the serpent, the wisest of creatures; our house colours are emerald green and silver, and our common room (as you now know) lies behind a concealed entrance in our dungeons. As you'll see, the windows look out into the depths of the Hogwarts lake. We often see the giant squid swooshing by-and sometimes more interesting creatures. We like to feel that our hangout has the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck. Now, there are a few things you should know about Slytherin - and a few things you should forget." I have to hide a smirk at the look of shock on Draco's face. Gemma's approach is warm and personal, nothing like he has ever imagined. Sevi glides out of the shadows and to the front. Gemma nods at him and takes a seat as he continues the speech.

"Firstly, let me dispel a few myths. You might have heard rumours about Slytherin house - that we're all into the Dark Arts, and will only talk to you if your great-grandfather was a famous wizard, and other things like that. Well, you don't want to believe everything you hear from competing houses. I am not denying that we have produced our share of Dark wizards, but so have the other three houses - they just don't like admitting it. And yes, we have traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of witches and wizards, but nowadays you will find plenty of people in Slytherin House who have at least one Muggle parent." Whispers break out from among the other first years. I just sit back in my chair and slip a hand into my pocket to stroke Nagini. She curls around my fingers and I have to suppress a smile. I listen as Sevi continues in his wonderful drawling voice.

"Here is a little-known fact that the other three houses don't bring up much: Merlin himself was a Slytherin. Yes, Merlin, the most famous wizard in history! He learned all he knew in this very house! Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Merlin? Or would you rather sit at the old desk of that illustrious ex-Hufflepuff, Eglantine Puffet, inventor of the Self-Soaping Dishcloth?" He surveys us, eyes glinting with passion.

He waits for us to say something so I do.

"Will all due respect, sir. I think that my view on this subject are the same as my fellow year-mates. I would much rather become a world famous witch than become someone forgotten and pathetic." His eyes are warm with approval.

"I have no doubt the other students will agree. But that is enough about what we are not." Sevi continues.

"Indeed. Let us talk about what we are. We are the best and edgiest house in this castle. We play to win, because we care about the honour and traditions of Slytherin. As Slytherins, you will get respect from your fellow students. Yes, some of that respect might be tinged with fear, because of our Dark reputation, but you know what? It can be fun, having a reputation for walking on the wild side. Chuck out a few hints that you have access to a whole library of curses and see whether anyone feels like nicking your homework." Gemma stands up again.

"But we aren't bad people. We are like our emblem, the snake: sleek, powerful, and frequently misunderstood. For instance, we Slytherins look after our own - which is more than you can say for Ravenclaw. Apart from being the biggest bunch of swots you ever met, Ravenclaws are famous for clambering over each other to get good marks, whereas we Slytherins are family. The corridors of Hogwarts can throw up surprises for the unwary, and you'll be glad you have the Serpents on your side as you move around the school. As far as we are concerned, once you have become a snake, you are one of ours - one of the elite." Gemma steps back as Sev takes over again.

"Do you know what Salazar Slytherin looked for in his chosen students? The seeds of greatness. You have been chosen by this house because you have the potential to be great, in the truest sense of the word. All right, you may see a couple of people hanging around the common room whom you might not think are destined for anything special. Well, keep that to yourself. If the Sorting Hat put them in here, there is something great about them, and don't you forget it."

"And talking of people who aren't destined for greatness, I haven't mentioned the Gryffindors. Now, a lot of people say that Slytherins and Gryffindors represent two sides of the same coin. Personally, I think Gryffindors are nothing more than wannabe Slytherins. Mind you, some people say that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor prized the same kinds of students, so perhaps we are more similar than we like to think. But that doesn't mean that we cosy up with the Gryffindors. They like beating us only slightly less than we like beating them." Gemma says.

"There are rules to living in the Slytherin house. You are to abide by these rules. There are serious consequences if these rules are broken.

First Rule: We are Slytherins, so we act like we are, in the castle. No loud outbreaks or anything else of that sort.

Second Rule: Slytherins stick together. If you see another Slytherin in a bit of a bind, you will help. That isn't to say though that you shouldn't strike a bargain for them to receive your help. We are Slytherins after all.

Third Rule: Never get caught. It doesn't matter what you are doing, if you are guaranteed to get in trouble for doing it, **don't . get . caught.**

Fourth Rule: We show respect for our Head of House, Professor Snape. He is always available for you, so if you need him, just knock on that door.

She points to a door that is to the side. It has a sign on it that says Prof. Snape, HoH.

The Fifth and final Rule is: We are a family. We do not strike out at fellow students. If you have a problem with a fellow Slytherin, you will take that problem to our Head of House. Now, any questions?" When no one steps forward, Gemma steps back. Sev steps forward.

"A few more things you might need to know: our house ghost is the Bloody Baron. If you get on the right side of him he'll sometimes agree to frighten people for you. Just don't ask him how he got bloodstained; he does not like talking about it. The password to the common room changes every fortnight. That is every two weeks. Keep an eye on the noticeboard. Never bring anyone from another house into our common room or tell them our password. No outsider has ever entered it for more than seven centuries. Keep it that way." Then Sevi leave and goes to his office. Gemma steps forward for the final time.

"Well, I think that is all for now. Everyone except for Valyn is dismissed." When the other first years leave, Gemma turns back to me. "I am sure you will like our dormitories. We sleep in ancient four-posters with green silk hangings, and bedspreads embroidered with silver thread. Medieval tapestries depicting the adventures of famous Slytherins cover the walls, and silver lanterns hang from the ceilings. You will sleep well; it is very soothing, listening to the lake water lapping against the windows at night."

I nod my head and follow her as she starts to lead me in the direction of the girls names. I furrow my brow as I feel a pull to a room on the very corner of the entrance to the girls room. There is steps leading up to a pair of elegant double doors. The handles have snakes twined around them.

"Prefect Gemma?" I ask her eyes trained on the door. "What room is that for?" I gesture to it. Her eyes widen and she fixes a look of awe on her face.

"That is the room meant for the Head girl. That room used to belong to Salazar's daughter." I nod but before I say anything, she continues. "No one has been able to get into the Head girl room for centuries. Professor Gaunt-Slytherin is able to open the Head boy room and his great-grandfather was able to open the Head boy room too. I wouldn't try to open the room. The last person that tried to was sent to the infirmary. She died from the venom of the snakes in her veins. They came to life and bit her multiple times." I nod thoughtfully. "The next person to open that room would gain major respect from everyone in Slytherin. Not even Professor Gaunt-Slytherin is able to open it because he is male."

"Interesting." I muse. That could come in handy. I smirk. I have a strong suspicion that all it would take to open the doors is a little parseltonge. That can wait though. I follow Gemma to the girls dorm corridor.

"Unlike the boys dorms, the girls are separated into groups of two. Millicent Bulstrode and Isobel MacDougal share a room. Tracey Davis and Sophie Roper share a room. Pansy Parkinson, Lily Moon and Daphne Greengrass currently shared a room but we have moved Daphne Greengrass into another room so that we could pair you up with her. Don't worry if she is a little frosty, she was like that to all of the girls before she got to know them." I nod silently and follow her to my new room. When she opens the door, the first thing I see is a blonde girl sitting on the bed on the right side of the room surrounded by other girls. She looks up and her smile fades as she looks at me before brightening again as she looks at Gemma.

"Hello, Greengrass. This is your new roommate, Potter." Greengrass nods before turning to the other girls. Gemma frowns. "All right, it is lights out. Parkinson, Davis, Bulstrode, MacDougal, Roper, Moon all of you to your own rooms." They all share looks and giggle before leaving obediently. One of the girls smiles at me before another of the girls with a pug nose pinches her. I resist a frown. I had hoped the wizarding world would be different than the muggle one. Shame on me, forgetting people are petty and insecure regardless of magic.

I turn to my new roommate and go to my side of the room. Gemma looks uncertainly at the both of us before bidding us a good night and leaving. I turn to Greengrass.

"So-" She cuts me off, a cold look on her face.

"We aren't going to be 'best friends' just because I am your new roommate. Okay? Let's get this straight. You do not talk to me, you do not approach me, you do not look at me. I wouldn't want to even think of what could happen if I consort with the likes of you, **mud-blood**." She sneers at me. I stiffen and my eyes harden. Challenge set...challenge accepted. I incline my head at Greengrass before going to the bathroom. When I come out, I am in my pajamas and I hold a parchment in my hand. I hand it to her and she reads it silently. It says:

_**I, Daphne Greengrass, do swear to:**_

_**keep anything that happens in this room a secret (be it seen, spoken, written or any other way)**_

_**not tell anyone anything that happens in this room (be it written, spoken or any other way of communication) unless both my roommate (Valyn Adar Donelle Potter) both agree I am able to**_

_**With the consequence should I break this contract:**_

_**of public humiliation**_

_**loosing my magic (this is an official document made by the goblins)**_

_**Signed, _**_

_**I, Valyn Adar Donelle Potter, do agree to the terms listed.**_

_**Signed, Valyn Adar Donelle Potter**_

Without a word, she signs the paper and it splits into two copies. I grab my copy and go back into the bathroom. When I come out, Nagini, back to her full size, is draped across my shoulders. I pretend I don't notice her dropped jaw and pale face as I go to my bed. I climb in and pull back the sheets. Nagini puts her face in front of mine and flicks her tongue at me.

_:Do not think I don't know what you just did there.: _I grin and hiss back at her.

_:I haven't the faintest clue of what you are talking about, dearest Nagini.: _Daphne shrieks and I turn to her. I can't quite hide the wicked smirk that curls on my lips as I focus my eyes on her. I slowly cock my head to the side and giggle before turning my lights off and closing the drapes around my bed.

Challenge made, challenge accepted.

Valyn 1; Greengrass 0


	11. Chapter 11: Introductions

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: **All outfits are on my profile.** A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

A/N: _Italics is Valyn using her eyes and body language to convey her message to her twin, and Italics with underline is Harry_ responding. The twins cannot read each others minds, they are just in tune with each other and knowing each others feelings helps them figure out what the other twin is trying to 'say.' I repeat, **THEY CAN'T READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS!  
**

Reviews are always appreciated!

Just like the previous chapter, All I changed was any involvement with Professor Quirrel being gone. HE IS STILL IN THIS STORY!...for now!

I would just like to send a thank you to my newest follower(s)/fav(s): AmazinglyAwesome, bossraage and maanou ! You guys make me happy when you fave and follow my story!

_:Parseltongue:_

**Chapter 11**

* * *

The next morning when I get up, it takes a few minutes before I remember where I am. I roll onto my side and feel for twin. He is bright and happy in our bond. I draw strength from the fact that twin close by. I get up and sit on the edge of my bed. I run a hand through my hair and smile as Nagini sleepily shifts on my pillow. I watch her for a few moments, overwhelmed with fondness for my scaly friend before I get up and go into the bathroom.

It is only 6:00, so I don't have to worry about waking up my roommate. I turn the water on and get in. The water cools then warms until it is perfect. I lower my head and let the water run down my back. It feels good to not have to rush through my shower. This is the first shower I have been able to take with warm water. It is relaxing for me.

I shut the water off and climb out of the shower. I look at myself in the mirror. I see my ribs and my thin arms and legs. It always makes me feel disgusted with myself for allowing the Dursley's to reduce me to this. I turn away and look at my uniform. I sigh and finish getting dry before I start to get dressed. I pull on a white blouse, a black vest to go over it, my Slytherin tie, my black skirt and my black slightly heeled shoes. I look at myself in the mirror.

It is odd to see myself in clothes that are new and obviously expensive...it's nice. I roll up my sleeves to above my elbow and pull on my Slytherin robes. The overall image is nice. When I look in the mirror I look cool and unapproachable. I look like the perfect image of a student. I smirk and the image is promptly ruined. So no smirking. The only way to get the teachers to like me is to seem like a teachers pet. I will have to make sure I balance myself out so I don't alienate the other students. I tuck my twin ouroboros necklace under my shirt so all I can see is the chain. I give myself a satisfied nod before running a brush through my hair and pulling it into a high ponytail. The overall image is of a sleek and confident student. Just what I was going for. I head out of the bathroom and go over to my bed.

Greengrass is still asleep. I smirk and (like a good roommate) _wish_ for her to sleep a couple of hours longer. She strikes me as the type of person who is always punctual. Oops! I grab my bag and Nagini.

_:Good morning Nagini. Would you like to stay in here or would you like for me to bring you along with me?: _I ask her curiously.

_:I will go with you. There is nothing to do in here.:_ I nod and _wish _her smaller before we leave our dorm room. She slithers under my robes and wraps herself around my bicep. No one will be able to tell she is there. I pad down the hallway and reach the common room. A quick sweep of the room shows only a few Slytherins are up, and I don't see Sevi or the new professor. I walk over to a small chaise that is left of the entrance to the common rooms and right against the wall. I set my bag down and pull out a few textbooks so I can finish up the last few paragraphs for the homework that I had to get caught up on.

All of my practice work is done, now I just have to prove to the teachers that I can do the spells (and in Sevi's case) potions. I take my notes as I read, I never know when something may come in handy. After about an hour of that, I finish my work. I stretch and put away my homework. Finally done, I pull out an interesting book on my family history when a student interrupts me.

"That is a nice bag." I look up and meet the gaze of a guy. He has black hair and eyes the color of rolling fog, a color that shifts between grey and blue and swirls together in a hypnotizing blend. His face has the elegant features of a pure-blooded heir and briefly wonder at his heritage before I stifle the thought and focus on his not-quite question. I flash a sly smile.

"Thanks." I say, not-quite but still taking credit for my bag. As a reward, surprise flashes in his eyes before he masks it.

"You made the bag?" I cock my head to the side just smirk. Word games always have amused me so. He sits back.

"Impressive for someone that hasn't had any schooling yet." I don't respond.

"How did you do it?" I glance at the clock before getting up and gathering my stuff. I turn to him and give him a beguiling smile, mischief in my forest green and silver eyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I ask, deliberately making my already musical voice all the sweeter before I turn and leave. It is only 7:30 but in _Hogwarts, A History_, I found the great hall serves food at 7:00, so I shouldn't be the only student there. When I get to the doors of the great hall, I survey the place, pausing on the Gryffindor table. Harry is up and talking animatedly to a friend of Ronald, who seems like he is about to fall asleep. He is eating and I notice with some satisfaction that he is using his manners and not shoving food into his face like Harry has described to me. Before I go over to join them, I sweep my eyes over the head table. Remus is up and so is Sevi.

I walk down the tables and stop when I get to Harry. I sit down next to him and tap him on the shoulder. He is already turning to me, having known I was coming through the bond.

"Morning, Twin." I smile at him and accept the piece of toast offered to me. I turn to Ronald.

"Good morning Ronald." He nods coolly back at me.

"Good morning, Valyn." I smirk and turn back to Harry.

"Do you know our schedule yet?" Harry shakes his head and swallows his food.

"Nope. The teachers haven't handed out the time tables yet." I glance at the head table.

"So why don't you go ask for them?" Harry and Ronald freeze with horrified looks on their faces.

"Are you crazy?" Ronald hisses wildly at me.

"That is not a good idea!" Harry is in complete agreement.

"Why not?" I raise a curious eyebrow and take another bite of my toast.

"Because that is Snape up there! He is vicious in the morning!" Ronald hisses and I can't help myself. I laugh a little and hold my hand over my mouth.

"That is too funny! Thank you Ronald, I really needed a laugh this morning." I cast him an amused look and his ears turn red. I turn back to Harry.

"I'll go get the time tables. Try not to have a mental breakdown while I am gone." I snicker at his un-amused face and walk up to the head table. Sevi and Remy are conversing in low voices but when he sees me coming his way, Sevi breaks off.

"Good morning Professor." I nod at Remy before turning back to Sevi. "Good morning, Sevi." I smile sweetly at his raised eyebrow.

"What have I told you about that nickname when we are in school?" I smirk.

"You said that I couldn't call you Sevi while school was in session." I hurry on before he can say anything. "But school is not is session right now. In fact, school has yet to start until the largest majority of students are up and in their classes so that rule does not apply." I smile sweetly when I finish. He sits back and just looks at me before sighing.

"Very well, what was it you wanted?" I put a wounded look on my face.

"Can't I just come up here to see my favorite godfather?" Remus looks over.

"I thought I was your favorite godfather?" He asks playfully and raises an eyebrow. I toss my head.

"You can be my favorite when I want something from you, right now Sevi is my favorite." Remus snickers before turning to Sevi.

"Just remember, right now, she is your goddaughter. Such a sneaky little snake." I 'blush.'

"Remy! You are making me blush!" He stares at me for a second before he snickers. I don't smile but I do allow my eyes to laugh silently. Sevi has an amused look on his face that he hides when he notices me looking at him.

"So, what was it you wanted from your 'favorite' godfather?" I smile sweetly.

"May I please have the first year Slytherin time tables?" Then as an afterthought I remember what I told Harry. "And Harry and Ronald's time tables? And while I am asking, the time tables for the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and other first year Gryffindors? Please?" He looks at me, trying to guess my aim, but I just keep an innocent look on my face. He finally nods and hands me the time tables. I smile brightly and lean forward to give him an affectionate kiss on the cheek before I go back to the Gryffindor table, prizes in hand.

"There you go." Harry and Ronald jump when the time tables hit the table with a loud smack. I nonchalantly grab another piece of toast and take a bit out of it. They stare at the papers and then back at me. I smirk at them. "Did you ever doubt me?" Without waiting for their answer, I pick up my bag and walk over to the Hufflepuff table.

I pull out a book and start to read.

_**Dogwood**_

_Dogwood is one of my own personal favourites, and I have found that matching a dogwood wand with its ideal owner is always entertaining. Dogwood wands are quirky and mischievous; they have playful natures and insist upon partners who can provide them with scope for excitement and fun. It would be quite wrong, however, to deduce from this that dogwood wands are not capable of serious magic when called upon to do so;they have been known to perform outstanding spells under difficult conditions, and when paired with a suitable clever and ingenious witch or wizard, can produce dazzling enchantments. An interesting foible of many dogwood wands is that they refuse to perform non-verbal spells and they are often rather noisy._

I frown and look up from my book. All of my wand woods seem to fit to me like they were tailored with me in mind. I flip to the page that tells me about Hornbeam wood and start to read.

**_Hornbeam_**

_My own wand is made of hornbeam, and so it is with all due modesty that I state that hornbeam selects for its life mate the talented witch or wizard with a single, pure passion, which some might call obsession (though I prefer the term 'vision'), which will almost always be realized. Hornbeam wands adapt more quickly than almost any other to their owner's style of magic, and will become so personalized, so quickly, that other people will find them extremely difficult to use even for the most simple of spells. Hornbeam wands likewise absorb their owner's code of honour, whatever that might be, and will refuse to perform acts - whether for good or ill - that do not tally with their master's principles. A particularly fine-tuned and sentient wand._

I smirk and pull out my notebook.

_Note to self: Make sure to get enchantments put on my wands so that no one (with the exception of Twin) can use my wand(s). _

I put down my quill and reach into my bag to put my book away for now.

"What are you doing at our table?" I look up. I meet the gaze of a tall boy. He has brown hair with a bit of a copper tinge to it and curious grey eyes that made me think of the full moon. His stance is wary but didn't seem too defensive. As soon as my eyes fell upon his Hufflepuff badge I understood why. Hufflepuffs would rather believe that someone is good than bad.

"I am here because I have the first year time tables." I glance behind me and roll my eyes. Harry and Ronald are flicking food at each other. "And because my twin has forgotten all of his table manners at the moment." The boy looks over at Harry and Ronald and snickers before sitting down beside me and filling up his plate.

"You're Valyn Potter, right?" He asks friendly and I nod. I cock my head to the side and study him. He is completely relaxed and friendly. It baffles me how he isn't the least bit cautious. He doesn't glance around to find all of the exits, he is not tense and he has a happy aura about him. It confuses me.

"What?" He catches me surveying him and I silently shake my head. He shrugs and holds out a hand. "My name is Cedric Diggory." I look at his hand before tentatively shaking it.

"It's nice to meet you." He grins and turns back to his food. I watch him for a few seconds more. "What year are you in?" I ask curiously.

"Huh?" He looks at me with surprise. I half expect him to tell me to get lost but he surprises me yet again. "I am in my 3rd year." I raise an eyebrow.

"Why haven't you told me to get lost yet?" He looks at me, faintly shocked.

"Well, you were sitting here before me, and you don't seem like a bad sort." He shrugs again. I blink, thrown off guard. He really is the gullible sort if he believes I am not bad. I watch him for a few more seconds before I shake my head and grab a piece of toast. Boys.

It doesn't take long before the Hufflepuff first years are crowding into the table and surrounding me. I tense up and slip my hand into my sleeve to rest my hand on my wand for reassurance.

"Do you know him?" A red head girl asks me, pointing at Cedric. I shake my head. "Then why are you pressed against him?" I start and look at him. My blush is entirely real this time. I pull away from him.

"No, I am Valyn Potter." I hold out a hand and she shakes it.

"Aren't you a Slytherin?" I nod.

"I am."

"Then why are you over here?" I reach into my bag and pull out the Hufflepuff time tables.

"Professor Snape gave these to me to hand out." I look at the first name. "Hannah Abbot?" A girl with blond pigtails raised her hand.

"Hi, my name is Hannah Abbott and I am a half-blooded witch and proud!" I look her over and nod.

"Nice to meet you. Susan Bones?" A red-headed girl raises her hand.

"My name is Susan Bones and I am a half-blood and proud!" This time I smile as I hand the time table to her.

"Trevor Boot?" A boy with sandy blond hair and dark brown eyes smiles and raises his hand.

"Trevor Boot, pure-blood and proud. Not to say that I care if you are a half-blood or muggle-born." His fellow Hufflepuffs laugh and he blushes as he takes his time table.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley?" A boy with brown hair and brown eyes raises his hand.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley, muggle-born and proud!"

"Anthony Goldstein, pure-blood and proud! And like Trevor, I don't care about your blood."

"Wayne Hopkins, half-blood."

"Megan Jones, pure-blood and proud."

"Ernest MacMillan, pure-blood."

"Roger Malone, muggle-born."

"Oliver Rivers, pure-blood."

"Leanne, muggle-born." I hand the paper to the girl and sit back.

"It is nice to meet you all." I sit back down and flinch a little as Cedric laughs beside me. "What?" I ask him.

"Nothing, its just, no one has done that before. Introduced each other and all. I actually like it and from the professors reactions, I think they like it too. It wouldn't surprise me if they wanted to do this every year." I turn and look up at the Head table. Cedric look right. The professors really look pleased at this. Good. I notice the Ravenclaw first years are all in.

"Bye everyone." I get up to leave and Cedric shoves the last piece of toast in his mouth and follows me. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. "Is there a reason you are following me?" I ask. He laughs.

"You are going to do the same thing with the Raven firsties aren't you?" I nod and he grins. "It is entertaining to me." I let the subject drop as I sit at the table. The Raven claws look at me curiously.

"Hello." I pull out the time tables. "When I call your name, please raise your hand." I look at the first one. "Mandy Brocklehurst."

"Mandy Brocklehurst, half-blood."

"Michael Corner, half-blood."

"Stephen Cornfoot, pure-blood."

"Kevin Entwhistle, muggle-born."

"Sue Li, half-blood."

"Terry Boot, pure-blood."

"Padma Patil, pure-blood."

"Sally-Anne Perks, half-blood."

"Katherine MacDougal, pure-blood."

"Lisa Turpin, pure-blood."

"Gary Thomas, muggle-born." I sit down as I hand out the last time table.

"It is nice to meet you all." They nod as the start to eat. I glance at my watch. It is only 7:30. I look over to the Slytherin table. The other first years aren't all there yet, so I spend a few minutes talking with the Ravenclaws. I don't hate any of them but the only ones I feel like I could make friends with are Padma, Katherine, Terry, Kevin and possibly Mandy and Michael. I glance at my watch again before getting up.

"Sorry, but I have to go. I need to give the Gryffindors their time tables. Later." They all wave bye and once again, Cedric follows me. I shake my head and I can see him smile a little out of the corner of my eye. "Hello." I wait, but the rowdy Gryffindor's don't even glance my way. I roll my eyes and with a flick of my wrist, my wand slips into my hand.

"_Crepitus._" A loud bang immediately catches their attention. I slip my wand back into its holster and hold the time tables in the air. "Now that you all are listening," I pause to make my point and a few of the girls blush. The boys are clueless. "I have the schedules for the today, when I call your name, you will raise your hand so I know who to hand it to. Did I make that clear enough for you?" I ask politely before starting the name roll and not waiting for a response. "Lavender Brown?"

"Lavender Brown, pure-blood."

"Seamus Finnigan, half-blood."

"Fay Dunbar, pure-blood."

"Hermione Granger." We wait expectantly for her status. She flushes and looks nervously at all of us.

"What?" She asks self-consciously. A muggle-born then. One who hasn't been sat down and told how to introduce oneself. I narrow my eyes and turn to Cedric.

"Get me the Prefect that was in charge of these students." Cedric opens his mouth to ask why but I shoot him a glare and he hastily goes to get the Prefect. I turn back to Hermione. "Don't worry. Witches and wizards have a way of introducing themselves at a first meeting. You were supposed to have been told this last night, but it appears your Prefect neglected their duties. The way to introduce oneself is to state your name, as well as your blood-status." She frowns.

"Why is that? I haven't read about that rule anywhere!" I shake my head.

"That is because it has only recently been put into effect and it technically isn't a rule. It has been put into place only 11 years ago after the fall of Britain's own Dark Lord. It is a precaution. Pure-bloods were held with more suspicion because the Dark Lord's views were more in line with theirs. Half-bloods were not held in as much suspicion but they had their fair share and muggle-borns were held with little to no suspicion. That is part of the reason why pure-bloods and half-bloods hold muggle-borns with such contempt." Hermione nods but before she can ask anymore questions, Cedric returns with a haughty looking red-headed Prefect that I can tell is Ronald's older brother the second I lay eyes on him.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Prefect snaps out.

"What is your name?" I ask sweetly.

"My name is Percy Weasley. Why?" I narrow my eyes, and my demeanour takes a total turn around.

"You have neglected your duties Prefect Percy Weasley." I snap out. "Last night, you were supposed to sit down your first years and let them know the important things that would get them through their first day. Instead, you sent them off to bed without telling them anything. I am lucky a few of the first years already know how to introduce themselves!" He draws back, a faint blush on his cheeks and his ears starting to turn red.

"But-" I cut him off.

"You were raised with the full knowledge on how to introduce yourself when you met someone new! Most of the first year Gryffindors did not have that same luxury! You were supposed to let them know and you didn't." I draw myself up and look him over with disdain. "And you wonder why Gryffindor's don't show proper decorum when in public! I would be willing to bet that this has happened before. It would explain a lot." I lower my voice into a silky murmur. "Some Prefect you have already turned out to be." I slowly shake my head and his face is covered with shame. I turn around and abruptly ignore him in favor of my other first years. There is a faint look of awe on Ronald's face and I have to hide my smirk.

"I myself was raised by muggles alongside my twin, Harry Potter. I had to study a lot to get caught up with my proper decorum, so I know how some of you must feel. If you have any questions you may come to me. If I don't know what you are talking about, I will either direct you to a book or student that does, or I will research the subject with you." I nod decisively and start my student roll call again. "Hermione Granger." Hermione raises her head proudly and answers me.

"Hermione Granger, muggle-born." I nod in approval and she blushes before taking her time table and turning back to her book.

"Neville Longbottom, pure-blood."

"Harry Potter, first generation pure-blood." Hermione raises her hand in confusion. I nod at her.

"What does that mean, first generation pure-blood?" I smile at her.

"It means we have both magical parents. You do not have to introduce yourself that way when you are a first generation pure-blood, but if you want to, it is no social misstep. Though you must keep take into consideration who's company you keep as it may be a misstep there." She nods and sits back.

"Parvati Patil, pure-blood."

"Kellah, half-blood."

"Sally Smith, pure-blood."

"Sophie Roper, pure-blood."

"Eloise Midgen, pure-blood."

"Dean Thomas, half-blood." I sit down and get another piece of toast. This time I put butter on it and then mix a little sugar and cinnamon together before sprinkling it on and taking a bite. I hum with happiness as I eat and Cedric snorts. I shoot him a glare before humming in delight as I take another bite.

"Were you really raised like a muggle?" A girl I recognize as Fay Dunbar asks me curiously. I swallow my food before I answer.

"Yes, we were. In fact, we didn't even know we were magical before we got our letters." I deliberate before shaking my head. "Actually that isn't correct. We knew we were magic, I mean with all of our accidental magic, how could we not?" I shrug my shoulders before continuing. "Anyhow, we knew we had magic, we just didn't know their was a world with magic." I keep my memories of Draco, Theo and Blaize to myself. She nods her head thoughtfully.

"Was it hard for you to adjust when you were brought back to our world?" Parvati asks. I laugh.

"Quite the opposite to be honest. It was like coming home." She grins.

"I know what you mean. Every year our parents go on this muggle kick and we swear off of magic. It sucks! Well, not completely, it is pretty cool with the music and the rollar coaster and the telly, but I just miss the magic. Ya know?" I nod.

"Completely! I hated the time Harry and I were separate because aside from us being Twins, I was away from the magic and it just...didn't feel right." Parvati grins.

"Absolutely. Padma and I feel exactly the same." I look down.

"You know, Harry and I have never met another pair of twins, when he told me about you guys and the Weasley twins, I got so happy because I figured we would have people that would get us." She nods eagerly.

"I know! I just love that I have another girl twin to hang out with." I laugh.

"I agree. While I love my twin, sometimes he is a boy instead of my twin." She rolls her eyes.

"Believe me, I get it." I laugh before getting another piece of toast. I hadn't come here to make friends. Allies, sure. Friends? Not so much. I am going to have to be more careful. I want them to like me, but I can't get too attached. Attachments never end well for me. Harry kicks me under the table and I glare at him.

_You haven't even given them a chance. I don't want you to be hard and cold. We don't have to be like that anymore! That doesn't have to be__ us._ His eyes plead at me but I just set my jaw.

_I can't trust anyone anymore. You know that. It isn't the same. Just because we have a whole new world doesn't mean they are different. No matter what we have, when we get down to it, we are all human. We all have human flaws. I don't want to get attatched only to find they don't really care. That **hurts** me Harry. It **hurts**. I don't want to **hurt** anymore. If that means keeping them at arms length..._ I set my jaw and raise my head stubbornly. _Then so be it. _ He sighs regretfully.

_I never should have let us be split apart. We are family. More than that, we are Twins. We should always stick together. Fine. I will support you in this. I don't have to like it, but I will support__ it._ I smile at him gratefully.

_I know you don't want to be hard, but will you promise me one thing? _ He rolls his eyes and I giggle._ Will you please be careful? I know you like Ronald, but you don't know him well enough to know if he is a true friend. _Harry sighs before nodding and grinning.

_You have to make me a promise!_I roll my eyes playfully.

_Fine, what is it?_

_You don't be so closed off. I am not saying to make yourself vulnerable, but I do want you to be a little more open. You know it kills me when you show just how much the Dursleys have impacted you. We are away from them, we don't have to be so closed off anymore. We can let ourselves be happy._I look down before nodding. He grins and goes back to eating. I get another piece of toast and take a bite. I look up only to find a large majority of the Gryffindors staring at me. I swallow before raising a brow.

"Can I help you?" I ask them dryly with a touch of sarcasm.

"Wow!"

"That was,"

"A dead on,"

"Impression of,"

"Snape!" A pair of red-headed twins show up on either side of me and toss an arm over my shoulder. Cedric huffs as he gets shoved to the side and I look at the infamous Weasley twins.

"Oh,"

"Really?"

"I wasn't"

"Even,"

"Trying!" Harry and I finish together. The Gryffindors groan and I hear a faint, "Great, now there is two sets of them!" I snicker before turning to the Weasley twins.

"Wicked,"

"You guys,"

"Can do it,"

"Too!" I grin and nod.

"Duh,"

"We are,"

"Twins!"

"Stop!" Ronald holds his hands over his ears. "It is bad enough with Fred and George doing it, but with you guys doing it, it makes my head spin!" I snicker and shake my head. I hold my hand out to them.

"Valyn Adar Donelle Potter." They share a look before grinning at me.

"Fred!"

"George!" I cock my head to the side and look at each of them. They are trying to trick me, so Fred must be George and George must be Fred. I notice Fred has a small freckle above his left eye and George doesn't, so I grin and shake their hands.

"Nice to meet you Fred." I tell 'George' and turn 'Fred.' "Nice to meet you George." Their jaws drop.

"No one has ever been able to tell us apart before." They share a somber look before turning to me with an unreadable look in their eye. Fred holds out a hand.

"My name is Gred."

"Mine is Forge." I smile and shake their hands.

"It really is nice to meet the two of you." I take a bite of my toast. "I have heard that you guys like pranks, is that true?" Their somber mood disappears as they perk up.

"Indeed,"

"It,"

"Is!" I smile.

"Good, I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship boys." I let out a laugh before kissing them each on the cheek and leaving to the Slytherin table. Everyone except Greengrass was collected at the table. Without a word, I hand them each their schedule before turning on my heel and leaving. I already know all of them, no need to get sneered at. Until I get the chance to **_make _**them respect me, I plan on keeping out of their way. Because the day I _**make **_them respect me...is the day everything will change.


	12. Chapter 12: First day at Hogwarts

**Summary: **_Everybody lies. It's the only truth sometimes. Doesn't matter if it's out there somewhere waiting for the world to find. Or buried deep inside. Everybody lies._ - Jason Walker/ Harry Potter has a twin sister cliché. Not a twin bashing story.

A/N: **All outfits are on my profile.** A picture of Harry and Val are on a polyvore account, but there will be a link on my profile under Everybody Lies.

A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world. All rights go to J. and Warner Bros. I only own Valyn Adar Donelle Potter. (Pronounced: Val-YIN A-dar Don-el (like belle, the 'e' is silent) Potter.)

A/N: _Italics is Valyn using her eyes and body language to convey her message to her twin, and Italics with underline is Harry_ responding. The twins cannot read each others minds, they are just in tune with each other and knowing each others feelings helps them figure out what the other twin is trying to 'say.' I repeat, **THEY CAN'T READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS!  
**

Reviews are always appreciated!

I would just like to send a thank you to my newest follower(s)/fav(s): Disilon, Nari88 and Nymphadora Jackson! You guys make me happy when you fave and follow my story!

_:Parseltongue:_

**Chapter 12**

* * *

I walk out of the Great Hall and it is only a few seconds until Harry catches up to me. Unsurprisingly, Ronald is following him. Surprisingly, from Hufflepuff Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Anthony Goldstein, and Oliver Rivers and Padma, Katherine, Terry, Kevin from Ravenclaw are also following us. I wait for them to catch up before I start walking again. My first day and already I am surrounded by people I wouldn't mind becoming frien-allies with.

We split off when Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Anthony Goldstein, Oliver Rivers, Padma, Katherine, Terry, and Kevin have to go to Herbology and we have to go to Transfiguration. Lavender Brown, Fay Dunbar, Parvati Patil, Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Harry and I go into the Transfiguration classroom and sit down. It doesn't take long before my fellow Slytherin's file into the room. They pause when they see where I am seated. I am sitting right in the middle of the room with Harry beside me. The Gryffindors are on Harry's side and the only place for them to sit is on my side, which is all around me. I turn and hide my smirk before I pull out my parchment, a quill and my ink pot.

Professor McGonagall and James Potter come into the classroom about 5 minutes later. James immediately focuses on Harry and I, so I sneer at him before pulling behind a blank mask. I am not ready to trust him yet. They abandoned us. They don't get to turn around and want to be our parents. I pay all my attention to Professor McGonagall.

"When Transfiguring, it is important to make firm decisive wand movements. Do not wiggle or twirl your wand unnecessarily, or the Transfiguration will certainly be unsuccessful. You must also form a clear mental picture of the object you are hoping to make before attempting a Transfiguration spell. Today we will learning about Switching Spells. Can anyone tell me about Switching Spells?" Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Hermione waving her hand in the air. I also raise my hand. Time to see if I can do this. Professor Potter focuses an eager gaze on me.

"Yes, Miss Potter?" I fight to hide my mixed emotions to him and give my flawless reply.

"The **Switching Spell** is one of many transforming spells used to swap two different objects for one another. The spell is cast by moving your wand like this." I raise my wand and move my wand in the correct motion. I start at the right and go in a downward swoop before looping it around and a few inches under where I first started. "The end result is somewhat of a fish, just without the connecting lines. When the spell is done correctly, your spell with have a white light." Professor Potter beams at me.

"Correct!"

"5 points to Slytherin for giving the proper definition of the **Switching Spell.** 2 points for being able to give the correct wand movement to accompany the spell." Professor McGonagall says. I sit back with a smug sense of satisfaction. If I continue on like this, I should have no problem catching up with the rest of my year mates.

"Now, the Switching Spells are difficult and we usually do not teach this spell until the end of your third year, around the beginning of your fourth year. Do not be disappointed if the spell does not work." Professor McGonagall tells us, while Professor Potter gives everyone a matchstick and a small black button. When he gets to me, he hesitates.

"You will have to Transfigure your matchstick first into a needle. That is something you will have to do in order to get the credit for your first assignment." I nod coolly and turn to the matchstick. I twirl my wand as I study it. _...important to make firm decisive wand movements...do not wiggle or twirl your wand unnecessarily...form a clear mental picture. _I nod to myself and point my want at the matchstick. "_Transverto Matchstick_." I move my wand up and to the left before looping my wand around into a spiral around the middle of my 'line.' My matchstick changes into a silver matchstick with the small figures of a roaring lion and a snake twined around it. I grin. The magic rushing through me was incredible, the feeling of telling my magic to do something and it responding eagerly to my will was...invigoration. It makes me feel on top of the world.

"Wow." Neville whispers, staring at my wand. It snaps Professor Potter out of whatever spell he had been under. He gingerly picks up my creation and turns to me.

"Follow me." I get up and follow him to Professor McGonagall. She looks up.

"Yes?" She inquires and Professor Potter sets my needle down in front of her. She picks it up.

"This is a masterfully done needle. Did Miss Granger create it?" She asks, looking at him. He shakes his head, glee sparking in his eyes.

"Not at all! This is the work of my daughter. She did this on her first try. I wasn't even able to do that in my first year and I had been taking lessons on it for pretty much my whole life!" He exclaims. I narrow my eyes at the use of the word, 'daughter' but he doesn't seem to notice it. Professor McGonagall seems shocked and turns to me. She places another matchstick in front of me.

"If you will Miss Potter, I must make sure." I nod my understanding and again repeat the spell. This time, my needle is golden with a small cat perched on it. The most curious part is the cat has markings around the eyes. Professor McGonagall slowly picks it up and examines it. "Remarkable." She whispers and sets it down. "Ten points to Slytherin for flawless execution of a spell you have never cast before." I beam at her and she hands me the needle. I look at it before handing it back to her.

"This is for you Professor. Harry told how you are a cat Animagus with markings around your eyes and I made this with you in mind." I smile 'shyly' at her and she smiles back.

"Thank you Miss Potter." I nod at her before taking my seat again. I set another matchstick down and look at it and the button. I raise my wand and say my spell.

"_Trafero._" The button and matchstick shiver a second before they are in two different spots. The matchstick is where the button was and the button is where the matchstick was. Harry grins and does the spell. Within seconds, he has managed to complete the spell as well. I laugh and high five him.

"How did you guys do that?" Neville asks enviously. I look at him. We are god-siblings. His mum is our godmother. I decide to help him out.

"Show me how you complete yours spell." I order as I move over to where he is sitting. He nervously moves his wand and says the spell. It doesn't work. "You are doing it wrong." I take his hand and move it the right way. "That is how you move your wand." He nods and tries it again. This time his voice wobbles and the items shiver but don't move. "You can't let your voice tremble. The key to this is confidence. You have to believe your spell is going to work or it won't." He nods and tries it again. This time, he gets it right and he is the third person to get the spell.

"Yes!" He shouts before looking around and blushing. I grin at him.

"Nice job Neville. I knew you could do it."

"Congratulations Mr. Longbottom. 2 points to Gryffindor." Neville colors red and I grin at him before moving back to my table. I look over at the Slytherin side. Draco has gotten the **Switching Spell** right.

"Congratulations." He looks at me expressionlessly and I nod at his button and matchstick. Professor Potter comes over.

"2 points to Slytherin Mr. Malfoy." Professor Potter looks at me before moving on. I turn back to my spell and redo it for fun.

"Why did you do that?" Draco sits forward and though the others pretend not to care, I can tell they are listening. Time to prompt his memory.

"Just because we aren't friends doesn't mean..." Here I grin wickedly. "We can't be..._mutual acquaintances_." I turn away, but not before I see him jerk straight, and widen his eyes. Throughout the rest of the lesson, he tries to catch my attention without being too obvious and I studiously ignore him. By the end of the lesson, everyone in Gryffindor has managed to do the **Switching Spell **properly. Almost everyone in Slytherin has managed to do the same. Goyle, Crabbe and Pansy are the only ones who didn't manage to get it right. The bell gongs and we all gather our notes into our bags.

"Your homework is to be a foot of magical theory on Transfiguring. You may present it anyway that you want as long as it is on the topic. Dismissed." Harry and I lead the way out of the classroom and high-five each other when we get out.

"That was the ideal lesson!" Harry exclaims. Parvati laughs and everyone else grins.

"What class do we have next?" Fay asks eagerly. I turn to brown-haired brown-eyed girl.

"We have a double class in Herbology. Theory for the first hour and practical for the second hour." Laughing and talking, Harry and I follow the group around us with wonder. We have never had friends before. I turn and look for my fellow Slytherins. Draco is leading the group and they are acting like the pure-blood heirs they were raised to be. I give Harry a look before dropping back and waiting for the Slytherins to catch up before silently moving into the group and walking with them. While I do want to be frie-allies with the Gryffindors, I do not want to alienate my Slytherin year mates. As I am walking, almost without them noticing it, Theo and Blaise have moved to their usual walking spot.

When we were younger, Theo was on my left shoulder, Blaize on my right and Draco always had my back. I notice Theo is walking at his spot and so is Blaise. Draco occasionally gives us glances but when he catches me catching him watching us, he flushes and stares straight ahead. I raise my chin and don my neutral mask. When we get to the greenhouses, I silently leave the group and walk over to the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws.

"Hey, Valyn!" Susan greets me and I smile politely at her.

"Hey, how was your guys class?" Susan, Hannah, Katherine and Padma all exchange glances.

"Well, it was a History of Magic class." Padma finally says. I furrow my brow.

"Yeah, and?" They giggle.

"Binns is so boring, we just can't stay awake." Katherine explains. I nod.

"Would you guys be willing to make a deal?" I ask curiously.

"Sure." Hannah chirps and I grin.

"If I can manage to stay away in History of Magic, I will be making notes. I can make duplicates of my notes on one condition." They exchange eager glances. I notice on the outer edges of our group, the boys and the Slytherins are listening closely.

"What is it?" Padma asks.

"Would you guys be willing to have a study group?" They exchange glances.

"Why?" Kevin asks.

"Because I want to combine all of our talents so we all can get the best grades possible. If we have a study lesson, we could help each other out when someone gets stuck. It can sort of be a tutoring session too. Sound good?"

"Who would be in it?" Anthony asks. I look around.

"It would be us. Hannah, Susan, Oliver, you Anthony, Kevin, Terry, Padma, Kathrine and the Gryffindors." Terry nods.

"Which Gryffindors?" Terry asks.

"Fay, Neville, Parvati, and Harry."

"That actually sounds really good." Oliver admits. I grin.

"If you think that sounds good, here is something to sweeten the pot. Our notes and study lessons will probably get notice. We could offer to tutor our fellow 1st years. We could charge 2 sickles a hour for tutoring and 1 galleon for notes. We could lower the price on the notes depending on the class the notes are for."

"Wow, you have really thought about this have you?" Neville asks. I smirk and nod.

"Harry and I are twins. We balance each other out. He thinks in the moment and I think ahead." Padma laughs.

"We are alike then. That is why I am in Ravenclaw and Twin is in Gryffindor."

"It is horrible, isn't it?" We share mock-suffering sighs and laugh as our respective twins shove us in the shoulder. I laugh before turning back to them.

"So? Who's in?"

"I think all of us are in." Kevin says and everyone nods their heads. I grin.

"What are we going to name our group?" Neville asks and flushes when I turn a considering gaze on him.

"Good question. We want this to be a long-term thing right?" I ask and they all agree.

"What about Strikers?" Padma asks but I shake my head.

"We don't want to see intimidating. It will make the others not want to come to us."

"What about the Nobles?" Fay asks. I stop walking and turn to stare at her. The name sounds perfect. It resonates with my magic. I let a slow approving smile overtake my face and she smiles proudly. I turn to look at the rest of the group.

"In a show of hands, who here agrees with the name, the Nobles?" I gleefully note everyone who will belong to the Nobles hands are up. I grin. "It is settled then. We are from here on forward, the Nobles." I relish the words as they come out of my mouth and I can tell everyone else likes the sound of it too.

As we continue to walk to the greenhouse we need to be at, I notice Draco, Theo and Blaize talking amongst themselves and glancing over at us. I feel wistful for a second remembering what it was like to have them with me. Like we could take over the world 5 times over. I shake my head and turn away. I won't force them to remember.

We reach greenhouse 2 and wave bye to our Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff friends as we file in. Professor Sprout is standing at the head of the table that runs the length of the greenhouse. As we file into the greenhouse, she smiles warmly.

"Hello students, today we will be learning about what are a few common fertilizers for magical plants. But first, what are a few reasons Herbology is important to the magical world?" Hermione's hand shoots into the air, and to my surprise, so does Neville's. "Yes, Mr. Longbottom?" Neville lowers his hand and to my shock, he doesn't look nervous, this is the only time I have seen him so at ease anywhere.

"It is important to be able to tell one plant from another. One of the many reasons why is because being able to tell the difference between wand woods is useful for assessing how well a person can perform certain types of spells, something that could be useful in duels. Another reason why is Healers need to be able to tell the difference plants when they are caring for patients affected by them. After all, magical and non-magical plants alike are all unique with their own personalities and should be respected." Neville finishes and I grin. We just found our Herbology tutor for the Nobles.

"Correct Mr. Longbottom. Take 5 points for Gryffindor." Neville flushes pink and I grin at him. He smiles shyly back before we turn to Professor Sprout. "Now that you know a few reasons why Herbology is important, we will be learning about fertilizers for our magical plants. Parchment out everyone." There is a brief scramble for the proper writing items before everyone settles down for our lesson.

"Does anyone know the 3 most common fertilizers?" I raise my hand and Professor Sprout nods at me.

"The 3 most common fertilizers in the Wizarding world are: Dragon dung, Mooncalf dung, and Centaur tears." Professor Sprout nods in approval.

"Correct. Take 3 points for Slytherin. Can you tell me anything about those 3 fertilizers?" I grin.

"Yes, I can. Dragon dung is from Dragons as the name implies. Dragon dung is odorless and does not bother the herbalists working with it. It is thought that dragon dung has no odor because dragons use odorous gases to fuel their flames but that has not been proven. Dragon dung posses an acid that is found in a dragons stomach that breaks down the organic and inorganic into their natural state. Mooncalf dung is a gentler option. A fertilizer for the more sensitive plants because it does not have the strength of dragon dung. Though if the soil the plant is in does not have the proper nutrients, the mooncalf dung will not be strong enough to keep the plant healthy and alive. Centaur tears are sometimes used to water plants because they have vitamins in them that are good for the plants. Centaur tears can bring a plant back that is close to dying. Some plants do find them toxic though, it has been found that plants that grow near a centaurs home are really healthy."

"Very good, Miss Potter. Take another 10 points for Slytherin." I grin. My first day at Hogwarts and I have already racked up points for my house.

"Now, who can tell me..."

* * *

"That was pretty cool!" Neville exclaims happily as we leave Greenhouse 1. "I am really looking forward to doing the assignment tonight." I laugh and pat him on the shoulder.

"I am glad, Neville. You have a real talent for Herbology." He blushes and looks to the side.

"Do you really think so?" He asks shyly, and everyone else pipes up.

"Without a doubt Neville. You were awesome there!" Harry grins at him.

"I would have been lost, but you were answering questions left and right! I am never going to be as good at Herbology!" Parvati tells him and I can see him taking our words to heart.

"Thanks guys." He grins happily at us as we head back to the castle to go to Charms.

* * *

"How was it?" I ask Katherine as we reach the Charms classroom just as they finish.

"It was really good. But I do have to warn you, it is all theory for now." I frown but nod in understanding.

"Alright. So, listen up." Everyone in the Nobles crowds around, Harry at my shoulder, comforting without even saying a word. "I was thinking of adding 5 more members to our group." They nod.

"Who?" Anthony pipes in.

"I want to add Lily Moon, Isobel MacDougal, Theodore Nott, Blaize Zabini and Draco Malfoy." They explode. I wait patiently for them to stop. They finally die down and turn to me.

"Why?" Padma asks.

"I want to have a few more Slytherins to the group. They could really help."

"How?" Parvati asks.

"Draco Malfoy is the best at Potions." They reluctantly nod in agreement. "Plus, if we want customers from Slytherin, we are going to have to Draco in. He has influence in the Slytherin House and I don't have enough leverage in the House yet to get some Slytherins. Face it, we need him." My flawless argument wins them over.

"Okay, when do we invite them?" Terry asks and I snort.

"We? No offense guys, but this is a Slytherin thing. I am going work something out and get them over to our side. Until then, we don't act in any different way towards them. We wouldn't want to scare them off." Kevin snickers and nods. "Alright, later my Nobles." They wave as they leave to go to their next class and we file into the Charms classroom. Professor Flitwick starts by taking a roll call. When he gets to my name, he pauses and surveys me. His eyes widen as he sees Harry and I sitting side by side and I grin. Harry and I side by side is like a mirror. It is fun to baffle people when we sit the same way, talk the same way, walk the same way and pretty much move the same way.

Professor Flitwick sets down his names and gestures to Professor Evans. "Professor Evans will be doing the primary teaching today, as I have N.E.W.T. tests to come up with for my seventh years. Professor Evans."

"Thank you, Filius." She turns back to us, and it strikes me how alike her and Harry's eyes are. They share each others eyes. You can tell he is her son just by looking at him. I lower my gaze and look at my parchment without even seeing it. I look nothing like my mother. And yet, I look everything like Harry and I can tell he is her son. Could they tell? When they first saw me, could they tell I was their daughter?

Why does it even matter to me? They abandoned us. For years, Harry and I have laid it that cupboard and yearned for someone to come and take us away. We wished and we dreamed, to no avail. We were always stuck there. Because we thought no one cared. If I am to believe the Potters, they care. Then why did they stop looking for us? Why didn't they come and save us?

I take a deep breath and shove those hurt and hopeless feelings down and force myself to listen. I watch her as she gestures animatedly. Her hair shimmers in the light like living flame and it hurts me. When I am in the sunlight, Harry swears up and down, you can see red in my hair. It is one way I am connected to her. So why didn't she care?

Why didn't any of them care?

* * *

"Wasn't that awesome?! This is going to be the best class ever!" Harry exclaims, eyes aglow with happiness. A small bitter part of me wonders if he is happy about the class or who was teaching it. I shove it down and do what I do best. Pretend my happiness until it becomes real.

"It was pretty awesome." I reluctantly agree. Our mu-Professor Evans is a gifted teacher. She makes the students really interested in what she is teaching. I wish I didn't hate that they adore her. I wish I wasn't so damn possessive.

"Hey, guys!" Without even looking, I can tell it is Katherine.

"Hey, Katherine." The rest of the Nobles joins us seamlessly and it makes me feel a little less lonely. Harry brushes against my shoulder and smiles reassuringly at me, emerald eyes glinting with concern. I fake a bright smile before turning back to my Nobles.

"How was Potions?" I ask curiously. Sevi is my god-father and I still find it hard to believe he is as harsh as Ronald would have me believe. Susan and Padma exchange wary glances.

"It was, uh, okay?" Hannah says nervously. They all know he is my god-father. I sigh and shake my head.

"Don't worry about it, guys. I get it. Besides, I am going to see for myself today after lunch." They exchange glances again. This time their glances are worried. I shake it off and turn a bright smile upon my Nobles.

"So, have we thought about who is going to be our tutors?"

"Well, Padma is really good at Charms." Parvati offers. Padma blushes but doesn't disagree. I nod.

"Alright, we have Padma as our tutor for Charms, Neville as our tutor for Herbology, Harry for DADA, when get our Slytherins, Draco will be our Potions tutor, we just need a Transfiguration and History of Magic tutor. Any ideas?" I ask.

"You could be our Transfiguration tutor." Oliver suggests. I cock my head to the side and look at him.

"Really? Why do you think that?" I ask curiously.

"Well, no one has picked it up as fast as you did this morning. You seem really good at it." Fay pipes up. Harry and the others nod their heads in agreement.

"Okay, all in favor, raise your wand and shoot out silver sparks, all against, raise your wand and shoot out black sparks." Everyone shoots out silver sparks and before I even realize it, I am smiling happily. "Now who should tutor History of Magic?" Susan tentatively raises her hand.

"If you could get me the notes, I could tutor HOM. I really love history, but I just can't find it in me to stay awake during his class." I nod, before putting voice to the question I had been wondering about.

"Isn't Professor Lupin teaching you guys?" Katherine shakes her head.

"He tries, but Professor Binns just talks over him, so he sits down. Binns voice is so dry though, it makes even him fall asleep!" I snort.

"Okay, when we take HOM, I will see what I can do about Binns." I smirk and Harry shakes his head.

"NO. No, no, no, no, no, a thousand times no!" I widen my eyes in mock innocence.

"What?" I ask innocently. Harry narrows his eyes, not buying it for a second.

"I know that smirk. Whatever you are going to do is going to get us in trouble!" I shake my head mock-hurt. We reach the Great Hall and walk in.

"You doubt my skills, brother dearest?" I widen my eyes and make my bottom lip tremble. "You should know better than that!" I pause dramatically. "I _never _get caught!" I finish and the Nobles burst out laughing. I smirk imperiously and Harry tries to look mad but it is ruined by the smile that breaks through.

"Never get,"

"Caught doing,"

"What?" The Weasley twins ask, tossing an arm over my shoulder.

"Nothing!" Harry and I chime innocently as we head to the Gryffindor table. I pause, the Nobles are splitting up and heading to their own tables. "Where are you guys going?" I ask and they turn around.

"To our own tables." Hannah says, confused. I shake my head.

"You guys can sit with us at the Gryffindor table." I head to the table without letting them argue and smirk proudly when they follow.

"I don't think this is allowed." Kevin says anxiously and looks up at the Head table. I roll my eyes.

"Nowhere in the rule book, does it say it isn't allowed. Believe me, I would know." They relax a little but keep glancing up at the Head table every so often.

"Hey, Valyn." Cedric cheerfully sits down next to me and starts scooping food onto his plate. I narrow my eyes and stare at him.

"What are you doing?" I ask him icily and he doesn't even pause.

"Getting food." I grit my teeth.

"You can do that at the Hufflepuff table." He grins.

"I could." He agrees but stays and starts eating. Baffled, I shake my head and look at Harry helplessly. He shrugs his shoulders and starts eating. Some help he is. I roll my eyes and get a plate of food. I start eating, musing on the turn my life has already. It was only days ago I had no friends, no I have so many surrounding me. It makes me feel both uncomfortable and comfortable. Like the rest of my life, it is a paradox.

I straighten my shoulders. Regardless, the Nobles are now _my_ Nobles. I have no plans of letting them go any time soon. I glance up at the Head Table and snicker at the look on Sevi's face. Sirius is making faces at him and eating as sloppily as possible. Harry glances up and scowls before look at me and letting out a reluctant grin. I grin happily back at him. He rolls his eyes and-

"How do you guys do that?" Susan asks. Startled, I flinch and look at her with wide eyes.

"Huh?" I ask before gaining control once again. "My pardon, how do we do what?" I ask politely, neutral face once again in place.

"That thing!" Oliver says. I raise a brow and give Harry one of my, 'what did we do to deserve to be surrounded by morons' looks and Harry snickers.

"That!" Katherine exclaims triumphantly. I give her an impatient look. She flushes before continuing. "The looks you give each other like you are having whole conversations with each other without saying a word."

"Oh. That." Is Harry's brilliant response. I roll my eyes and swat him on the back of the head before turning back to my Nobles.

"Harry and I _are_ having conversations." Anthony rolls his eyes.

"We know _that_. We just want to know _how_ you do it." I furrow my brow thoughtfully.

"Well," I begin thoughtfully. "Harry and I are **Twins**." I nod, satisfied and start to eat again.

"Wait!" Hannah sputters. "That's it?" I look up, surprised.

"Yeah." Then I turn back to my food.

"But you didn't tell us anything!" Fay exclaims.

"Not true. I told you everything." I retort, bewildered they aren't getting it. Neville shakes his head.

"No. All you said was you and Harry are twins." I frown.

"Okay. One, it is **Twins** not twins. Two, that _does_ explain everything." I turn back to my food.

"That doesn't explain anything!" I raise my head and just look at them. Before I can say or do anything rash, the other twins save me.

"It explains everything." Padma and Parvati say together.

"Without a doubt." Fred and George say in unison. The others look at each other, understanding dawning on their faces.

"So, it's a **Twin** thing?" Neville asks, tentatively. I beam at him and he blushes but smiles back.

"Exactly."

* * *

"Does anyone else think of a Mexican standoff at this moment?" I hear Hannah whisper nervously from behind me. I have to hide a smirk. Wouldn't do to be the first to show some kind of emotion. We may have been friends at one point, but I will not bow to Draco Malfoy.

After lunch, my Nobles and I filed down to the dungeons for the Potions class. Draco Malfoy and his slytherins were there at the door. Surprised, we both froze and locked gazes. We both have yet to move. There. He shifted, I raise my lips in a predatory parody of a smile and he steps back, automatically submitting. I toss my head and my Nobles and I walk superiorly past them. We stop at the other end of the door and dismiss the slytherins.

"Aren't you going to try and get them to join now?" Oliver asks curiously. I shake my head.

"No, if I continue the way I am going now, he will confront me. If there is one thing a Malfoy can't stand, it is being ignored and treated as if they are less they what they like to think they are. When he confronts me, I will twist the situation to fit our agreement before he even knows what is going on." Reassured, they settle down. I glance at my watch.

"Alright, my Nobles." I sigh. "Hannah, Susan, Anthony, Oliver, Kevin, Terry, Padma, and Katherine. You guys had better get to your Transfiguration class. Wouldn't want to loose any points would we?" All of us in agreement, we wave to our Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw counterparts as they leave. Not a moment too soon, as Severus strides down the hallway a second later. He silently spells the door open with a bang.

We file into the dark dungeon and once again, Harry and I sit so the Gryffindors are on his side and the Slytherins are on mine. Ronald, Seamus, Dean, Hermione, Kellah, Sally, Sophie and Eloise rush into the classroom just in time. Ron takes the desk closest to Harry and I's seat and the other Gryffindors get into their seats.

Professor Snape goes to the front of the classroom and stands and surveys us.

"Potions is a noble career to pursue, not that I have high hopes that any of you will understand that." He sneers and I don't miss his eyes lingering on Harry. I stiffen. This isn't my Sevi. This is a hate driven Snape.

"The rules to my class are as follows, violate them and you will be kicked out of my classroom. No food or drink near your work space. Or anywhere near my classroom. Do not taste or sniff ingredients or potions. Many are poisonous and if you die, it would be a great loss." Sarcasm drips from his voice like venom from a snakes fangs. "Keep your hands covered with gloves and away from your face whilst working. Wouldn't want any of you to get injured. Be prepared and keep your desk clean. Do not casually dispose of leftover potions in the bin or down the drain. Pay attention and don't try to play the mad potioneer. Do not panic. Many of my rules are simple. Do not attempt to cross my rules." He turns to the board behind him and scrawls something out.

"You will be brewing the Breath Freshening Solution. Do not deviate from the instructions on the board. You will not like the consequences." That said, he whirls around and sat down at his desk. It takes me a few seconds before I can unfreeze. I didn't want believe the others when they told me about how he really is, but how can I deny the evidence right in front of my eyes?

I harden myself and get up. As I get out my potions ingredients, I pull out my potions book and my potions leather-bound notebook. This should be an easy potion for me to do. I have practiced and written tons of notes. I have countless ways to edit and make this potion better.

**Recipe for the Breath Freshening Solution**

_**Ingredients**_

_- 3 rose petals  
- 2 dill leaves  
- 1 sprig of spearmint  
- 1 pint of rosewater  
- A dash of flobberworm mucus to thicken  
- Rose quarts(whole point)_

_Mix with a pint of rosewater and simmer gently for an hour. After the hour, mix in a dash of flobberworm mucus to thicken, stirring only in a clockwise direction. Tap the side of the cauldron thrice sharply to amplify the effects of the solution. Decant into a crystal phial with a rose quartz gem in the bottom. Place a stopper on the phial, and the potion is ready for use. Label your potion with the date brewed so that it is not consumed after the year is over._

I get my ingredients out of my potions kit and set them on the table. I set up my cauldron and Harry follows my movements, and in the seat in front of Harry, I can see Neville doing the same. Before class started, I told Neville to watch me as I did my potion so he could learn how to do it by watching me. I get my 3 rose petals and grind them with my dill leaves and the sprig of spearmint into a fine powder. I mix that with a pint of rosewater and add 2 drops of Lethe River Water. It will enhance the good flavors and will allow the potion to last longer. I just couldn't help myself. I had to add my little tweak, I can't bear to create a potion that isn't the best it can be.

Then I set my potion to a gentle simmer and chant, "_Tempus posuit: 1 hour._" (Set time, 1 hour) I get up and walk to Professor Snape. He looks up, a sneer on his lips that falters he sees me.

"Yes, Miss Potter?" I just look him over.

"What should I do while my potion is setting for an hour?" His gaze sharpens at my cool, distanced tone.

"You may start on your home work for tonight. It is 3 feet on the history of the Breath Freshening Solution, the uses, the description of the potion, and how much you should take at a time." I nod and turn away to go to my desk.

"Valyn, is something the matter?" He asks. A shimmer in the air tells me he must have put up some sort of notice-me-not spell. I turn back around and look at him dispassionately.

"Not at all, sir." He flinches almost imperceptibly. He knows he did something wrong. I have not called him sir before. I don't like it when people taunt and torment my twin...not even my god-fathers. The lines in the sand have been drawn, now he needs to decide which side he is going to be on. Mine, or Dumbledore's.

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

I set my quill down and dismiss my alarm. Beside me and in front, Harry and Neville do the same. I put the flobberworm mucas in my potion and it thickens right away. I tap the side of my cauldron three times. I turn my fire off and pull out my phials. I will be giving one to Professor Snape, and keeping the rest. I can sell it to the other students. After all, why let a perfectly good potion go to waste?

I place the rose quartz in the bottom of my phial and fill it with the potion before putting the stopper into it. I set my prepared phial to the side after I write my name and the date on it and fill up my other phials with the rest of my potion.

My potion is a pale, pastel green with flecks of blue shimmering through it. It has the consistency of water and is completely smooth. The taste has been tweaked with the Lethe River water, so according to my calculations, it should taste like fresh mint and roses instead of the customary taste of socks. My potion has been brewed correctly and flawlessly. After I finish filling the phials, I put them in my potions basket. It has small dividers in it so the phials don't touch or break. I tap the side of the basket and activate the shrinking spell it came with before putting the top on it and putting it into my messenger bag Harry gave me for my birthday. My hand brushes against the trunk.

After I opened it, I sorted through everything in it and put it in it's proper spot and I am using it as my personal trunk seeing as that is what it was meant for anyway. In the trunk are my mums school books and notebooks. It also has her diaries. I haven't opened those yet. It also holds my stuffed toys from when I was a baby and a box of pictures I haven't opened because I wanted to wait until Harry and I were together again.

I carry the trunk in my bag with me everywhere I go. I wouldn't put it past Greengrass to try and get into my trunk and plant incriminating evidence in my bag. Even now, she is glaring at me. I don't bother to hide my disdainful glance at her potion. It is two shades darker than it should be and the blue flecks in it should be brighter. Two high spots of red show on her cheeks and I smirk at her as I walk past her, stepping daintily over the foot she tries to trip me with.

I set my phial down on Professor Snape's desk and he raises an impress brow.

"10 points to Slytherin for a perfectly brewed potion." I incline my head and turn back to my seat. While I am waiting for time to be up, I finish my essay and hand it in. I can see the disbelief in his eyes as he take the scroll from me.

I leave and go to my seat. While I am once again, waiting, I watch the others brew their potions. With some satisfaction, I note that everyone in my Nobles is proficient at Potions. Once again, the only ones that didn't do their potions correct, are Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle.

The bell rings and there is a scramble to grab bags and get the hell out of the dungeons.

* * *

"I feel bad for you guys." Katherine tells us as the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws walk with us to our History of Magic class.

"Why is that?" I ask her. "Even if the class is so boring I can't stay awake, I will be able to take a nap. It is a win-win situation for me. Besides," I toss my head. "I have a plan to take care of Binns." Kevin chokes on his apple and snickers.

"You sound like some Mafia mob boss. With your 'taking care' of him." He laughs.

"What is a mafia mob boss?" Anthony asks. Hannah, Susan, Kevin, and Harry all exchange glances and pull him to the side a little away from our group to let him know. The other pure-bloods glance at me and I laugh.

"Go ahead." The rush over to the small group to learn themselves. I drop back and fall in with the Slytherins. Draco gives me an unreadable look and Theo and Blaize move into place without even paying attention.

"Why do you walk like that?" Greengrass asks nastily.

"Pardon?" I ask, a smirk playing on my mouth.

"Not you." She gives me a disdainful look and turns to the two boys flanking me. "Them. Zabini and Nott. Why do you guys walk like that?" The start and look at each other over my head.

"It feels comfortable for me." Blaize admits and Theo nods.

"My magic likes it too." Theo says. Greengrass sneers at my triumphant face when they don't move and keep walking next to me. I snicker and she huffs and moves to separate herself from the group. Millicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkinson and Tracey Davis follow her. I cast a questioning look at Lily Moon and Isobel MacDougal.

"We aren't her slaves." Isobel offers up and I nod. Looks like it won't be so hard to get them to join my Nobles after all.I

In fact, I can't help but wonder if I will have any opposition at all.

* * *

I settle in my seat at my History of Magic class. I pull out my book, parchment, quill and ink-pot to take notes with. Professor Binns floats to the front of the room and starts to drone on in his boring voice. I can feel the lull of sleep but I resist it. I guess I really will have to go through with my plan. I kick Harry and he shoots up, his hair sleep mussed. I hide a snicker and nod at him. His eyes brighten and he reaches into his bag and pulls out our magical camera.

I raise my hand and it takes Professor Binns a few seconds before he notices my hand up. The sheer shock on his face makes me giggle and he frowns.

"Yes, Miss?" I sit straighter in my seat and my Nobles take notice.

"Potter, and I was wonder if I could ask a question?" He sighs and nods.

"Why haven't you Moved On yet?" He blinks, thrown.

"That is none of your business." He starts to speak again, but I am not done yet. I insistently raise my hands and ignore the curious glances from Remus and the rest of the class. "Yes, Miss Porter?" Professor Binns irritated face lets me know he got my question wrong on purpose.

"Why haven't you Moved On yet?" He ignores the question and continues with his droning voice. For a few seconds I continue on asking why he hasn't Moved On yet. He gets so annoyed he finally snaps out the reason.

"I loved teaching and seeing the eager faces of my students soak up the rich history of the Wizarding World! Will you shut up?!" I smirk, his answer playing into my plans perfectly.

"Sir," I begin innocently. "Do you mean to say, you haven't Moved On because you love teaching your students history?" Irritated, Professor Binns nods. I adopt a sorrowful face and look at him gently. "Sir, look around. Over half of your students are asleep. Your co-professor can't stay awake. Your teaching is no longer needed. Your voice is dry and makes us fall asleep. Wouldn't it be better to let another teacher take over so we no longer suffer? I love history, but I cannot learn it with you teaching me." I lower my head and 'tears' well in my eyes. "Please, sir. I think it is time you Moved On." Surprised, Professor Binns looks around the room as if it was the first time he was seeing it. Sorrow shows on his face when he sees my words are true.

"I love teaching. But I can see your words are true. I think perhaps, it may finally be time to Move On." He looks at me. "Thank you, Miss Potter. For letting me see I am doing more harm than good. Perhaps with me gone, you can finally learn about the subject you love." He looks to the side and smiles. He floats forward and holds out his arms to something none of us can see. "I can finally see my family once more. Good bye my students. I wish you well in your learning." With his final words said, Professor Binns floats forward and gradually becomes more and more see-through before he is gone, his blissful face the last thing we see before he is gone.

Satisfied, I sit back down in my seat and look expectantly at Professor Lupin. He is sitting in shock. With a flurry, he gets up and casts a spell. A silver blur leaves the room and he gestures for me to come up to the front of the room.

"Valyn, what have you done? Do you understand the repercussions of your actions today?" I lower my head and look at him from under my lashes.

"I'm sorry." I mumble, 'ashamed.' "I was only trying to help." I sniffle and he softens instantly. He rests a gentle hand on my shoulder and raises my chin with a finger.

"Alright. I have messaged the Headmaster. I will do my best to make sure you do not get into trouble." I smile gently at him and hug him. I pull away as the Headmaster, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape rush through the door. Professor Snape rushes over to me, a barely hidden look of relief on his face.

"Valyn! Are you alright?" He asks. I look at coolly and nod.

"I am fine, Professor Snape." I step back and Harry moves to my right, my silent support base. Professor Snape draws back and flashes a hate-filled glance at my twin. I bristle and move in front of Harry, chin raised a defiant look on my face.

"Valyn, dear girl, perhaps you could tell me what has happened today?" Professor Dumbledore asks, a grandfatherly smile on his face. My face goes blank and closes off before a polite look take its place.

"Sir, I would appreciate it if you would call me Miss Potter." He doesn't falter, but I can see him draw back. I nod and begin.

"I came into this HoM class expecting to be taught properly. As I am sure you know, my twin and I have been raised as Muggles. I was eager to learn about the world we've been born to but been denied for the first 11 years of our lives. When Professor Binns started talking, I noticed everyone start yawning. This is a joke. A pathetic excuse of a class. This is the napping hour for all of the students of Hogwarts. I was curious, so I asked Professor Binns why he hasn't Moved On yet. He informed me he loved teaching and that is why he didn't Move On. I merely alerted him to what I am alerting you to. He saw the truth in my words and found the peace he had been missing. He decided it was for him to Go On." I finish and face the Headmaster head on. He nods thoughtfully and strokes his beard.

"I see. I thank you for helping Professor Binns, Miss Potter. Seeing as no one has been hurt, I do believe I can let you off the hook for now." I smile politely at him and turn back to my seat.

"How did you know it was going to work?" Fay asks, leaning over and whispering. A coy smile flits across my face before it disappears.

"Sometimes, all one needs is the conviction something will work and it will." Fay and the rest of my Nobles sit back, satisfied with my answer. I look to the Slytherin side of the room and Draco meets my gaze. Without breaking our look, he inclines his head to me and I return it haughtily before turning back to my twin. After waiting for a few minutes, I raise my hand. When the arguing adults don't notice, I clear my throat. The arguing stops abruptly and they turn to stare at me. I level a veiled condescending look at them and raise my chin. My Nobles (and even Draco, Theo, Blaize, Lily, and Isobel) follow my actions. I don't have to have a mirror to know my eyes are glinting with pride.

"Perhaps Professor Lupin should start teaching us. He _is_ the co-professor and now _only_ professor for our History of Magic class." I make a show of looking at my watch. "And the last time I checked, it is now 3:15. We started this class at 3:00 and it ends at 4. I speak for my fellow students when I express my desire to actually _learn_ something about history." I quirk my lips into a mocking smile and I notice pride on Remy's and Professor Snape's faces. I ignore them and focus on the Headmaster. He nods and turns to Remy.

"That sounds good to me. Professor Lupin, if you would?" Remy looks at me with a gentle smile. It says it all. He walks to the board and with a flick of his wand, erases Professor Binns name and writes his own. He turns to us and his shoulders are straightened with pride. I smirk and, with a toss of my head, catch my Nobles attention.

"Hello, Professor Lupin." We chant in perfect unison and he beams. The other students look at my Nobles and I with confusion and I spy some jealousy. I make a mental note, I won't have anyone bullying _my_ Nobles.

Harry and I grin at each other before focusing on the new Professor Remy.

* * *

"You are so freakin' awesome!" Harry chants as soon as we leave the HoM classroom. I smirk as the rest of my Nobles pipe up in agreement.

"That was pretty cool!" Fay agrees.

"I haven't seen anyone do anything like that before!" Neville says with awe.

"I loved your confrontation with the Headmaster!" Parvati laughs.

"What's going on guys?" Anthony asks as the Hufflepuffs join us. I cast an eye over them. Clearly Anthony is the speaker for their group. I get an idea in my head and a wicked smile crosses my lips. Harry shies away and explains to them. When the Raven's join us, I notice Katherine is leading the group. So she is the speaker for that group. Harry is the group for the Gryffins and I will be the overall leader of the group. Draco will be the leader for the snakes. I nod to myself and start planning for a way to make it official. I drop back with the Slytherin's and they wordlessly open a path for me to the center of the group before folding back around me. Greengrass casts me a disgusted look and flounces away with Pansy, Tracy and Millicent following her.

Satisfied, I continue with my plotting as we make our way to the DADA classroom.

* * *

"H-Hello s-stud-dents. A-as y-you k-k-kn-know, I a-am y-y-your t-t-tea-teacher. P-pl-please o-p-pen y-your b-bo-bools t-to th-the p-p-pro-proper p-pa-pages." I share a disgusted look with Harry as we flip to our page.

An hour later as we get out of class, I am ranting at Harry.

"Something is off about him." I finally announce when I calm down. It irks me when teachers don't do their job properly. It doesn't help Harry had a splitting headache the entire lesson and the pain filtered over to me. Thus, we shared a headache. It really didn't help my temper. Plus, I am hungry.

"All right. Since we are all together, where should we go to have our first Noble's meeting?" I ask and pull out a roll to eat. I hand one to Harry and he takes it with a grateful smile. I look around at my Nobles but they are all looking at me. I roll my eyes and swallow my bite of food.

"Fine. I will decide. Our first session can be held in the Library until we can find an empty classroom or something." I look at Hermione lingering at the edges of my group. "Hi Hermione. Would you mind showing us the way to the Library please?" I ask politely. She acts like I did in school in Surrey. Afraid she will get bullied. How far twin and I have come from those days. She hesitantly nods her head and I gesture for her to lead the way.

"Hey, Valyn." Cedric catches up to us and falls in line. Baffled, I look to Harry once again. What is it with this kid? I roll my eyes and studiously ignore him. Hannah and Susan are smiling sweetly at him and blushing every time he looks their way. I clear my throat and send them a Look. Catching my meaning, they ignore him just like I do. He gives me a look that lets me know he knows what I am doing before grinning at me and tossing an arm over my shoulder. I stiffen and Harry shoves his way between the two of us and sends him a look.

Cedric backs off, his easy grin never faltering.

"So where are we going?" Cedric asks and I shake my head.

"We? Can you not take a hint?" I wheel around and face him, my arms crossed. Harry moves to my shoulder and the rest of my Nobles crowd around and pull out their wands. For the first time, Cedric's easy grin falters and a serious look overtakes his face. I face him with a hard look on my face and I am unprepared for guilt to call at me. My magic doesn't want me to go after him. My magic wants me to accept him. My magic has never been wrong before, but he will have to prove himself to me. Without a word, I turn and head back in the direction of the library.

I don't even need Hermione to lead the way, as long as I have my magic out and free, I can use it to find where I need to go. Nagini tightens on my wrist and I calm a little. I slow my pace and my Nobles crowd around me, a silent hug without contact. Their magic is reacting instinctively and reaching out to comfort me.

It makes me feel calm and (dare I think it?)...accepted.

* * *

I get up to grab another book and I stiffen as I sense Draco, Theo, Blaise, Lily and Isobel in the next row. A wicked idea crosses my mind and I grin. I wain until Lily reaches up for a book on the other side right in front of me. When she pulls her book out, I grin wickedly and she shrieks. I smirk pleased and saunter around onto their side.

Lily clutches her chest and I lean against the bookcase, cross my arms cockily and tilt my head at an innocent angle, a small smirk playing on the corners of my mouth.

"What in the bloody hell was that for?!" Draco asks, speaking for them. I ignore him and focus my gaze on the rest of the Slytherins. Pink spots show high on his cheeks as he perceives my ignoring him as a personal insult.

"My apologies." I incline my head. "It seems as though I have inherited my father's wicked pranking streak." Lily nods at me.

"What are you doing here?"

"My Nobles and I are doing a study group." Intrigue flashes across her face and inwardly I am celebrating. Soon, they will be a part of my Nobles.

"Would you mind if we joined you?" Blaise steps forward and the others look at him in surprise. Blaise rarely speaks but when he does, it usually means he is comfortable enough around you or he is imparting priceless advice that you would be a bloody wanker not to take. I cock my head to the side and I see recognition flare in his eyes. I grin and nod at him, looking shell-shocked, he nods back. He finally remembers me. I look at the others and wordlessly gesture for them to go to my Nobles.

They leave but keep glancing back at Blaise, Theo, Draco and I. As soon as they are gone, Blaise lunges forward and...

* * *

A/N: Do you hate me right now? I bet you do! Review and Fave and Follow please! (The sooner I get a review, the sooner I will start writing the next chapter!)

Blackmail...so much fun!


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